Ah very interesting :D The drying up makes a lot of sense, but I wonder how accurate that is, as other compounds may decompose to other gases that take away from the mass of the organism which aren't water.I also ran across this last night after I searched a little bit:Andy Resnick said:If you can believe it, simply by weighing the specimen before and after drying.
I have some old book with data of different human tissues (including bone), and the percentage is rather variable.
In terms of 'other materials', what can be done is to grind up tissues and perform analytical chemistry techniques to determine the concentration of Na, K, Ca, etc. etc. Subcellular fractionation techniques can be used to further distinguish between, for example, cytoplasm and nucleus. Membrane extraction can be used to determine the lipid constitution of membranes.
It's a ton of work- an unbelievable amount of grunt work.
The water percentage of an organism refers to the amount of water present in its body in relation to its total weight. This can vary greatly depending on the type of organism and its environment.
Water is essential for life and plays a crucial role in many biological processes such as metabolism, transportation of nutrients, and temperature regulation. The water percentage of an organism can impact its overall health and functioning.
The water percentage of an organism can be measured through various techniques such as using a moisture analyzer, oven-drying method, or through chemical analysis. These methods involve removing the water from a sample of the organism and calculating the percentage based on the remaining dry weight.
The water percentage of an organism can be influenced by various factors such as its diet, hydration levels, metabolic rate, and environmental conditions. For example, organisms living in dry environments may have a lower water percentage compared to those living in wet environments.
The water percentage of an organism can fluctuate over time depending on its physiological needs and the availability of water. For example, during times of dehydration, an organism's water percentage may decrease, but it can be restored with proper hydration. Similarly, a high water percentage may be required during certain stages of growth and development.