Why is it that when you see photos of surgery the stuff inside your body looks really wet?
Is it just from blood? Is there a fluid in our bodies that makes organs wet-looking? If there is a fluid, does it serve a purpose other than keeping organs wet?
In: Biology
Yes, there’s a fluid called “interstitial fluid” that fills the gap between the cells. It’s incredibly important and its composition helps the cells absolve their functions.
26% of the water in your body forms the interstitial fluid, which is about 10-11 liters.
You also need the fluid as lube so your organs don’t chaff against each other with every movement. Without the fluid we would be in agony.
Because they are wet, it’s essentially water (I believe it’s plasma) it keeps the tissues moisturized and soft
Your skin being exposed to air has a layer of dead skin to protect the live tissue, but if you were to start removing layers of skin it would start leaking fluid
Organs look wet because they are wet. The spaces between your insides are filled with fluid. This is called “interstitial fluid”. It keeps your insides from rubbing against each other or sticking together, and it also carries nutrients, hormones, waste, and other stuff to and from the cells all over your body. About a quarter of all the water in your body is interstitial fluid. It is very important!
Because they are wet. The mesentery (sheets of tissue that protect blood vessels and hold the intestines in place) secretes fluid that protects the abdominal organs and prevents them from sticking together or “chafing” as you move.
Interstitial fluid is very similar to serous fluid (I think), but I would use that term for the fluid between/around individual cells, not in body cavities.
Not a surgeon but work in surgery. There are many different reasons why an organ can be wet.
1: interstitial fluid. Just fluid in between cells.
2: Edema aka swelling. Often a damaged or diseased organ will have swelling which increases said interstitial fluid. This is a normal response by the body by the way.
3: Bleeding. Surgery often has bleeding involved which can cause the organs to be wet.
4: Irrigation. A lot of surgery uses things like irrigation to wash away blood so that you can see or to dilute an infection or a potential infection. This is probably the most likely culprit for your question. Many times surgeons will wash everything off to make it look pretty for pictures.
5: Adipose aka fat. Fat is slippery and greasy. Often organs have fat on them that when smeared, can make an organ look shiny or wet.
Other non-medical reasons are things like glare
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