Body water
Body water
About 60% of an adult male by mass, 55% of an adult female.
Water is the medium for essentially every biochemical process, transports nutrients and waste, cushions joints and organs, and carries heat to the skin for cooling.
The numbers
- Adult male
- about 60%
- Adult female
- about 55%
- Newborn
- about 75%
- Brain and heart
- about 73%
- Bone
- about 31%
Worth knowing
The male–female difference is not about hydration but body composition: fat tissue holds much less water than muscle, and women carry a higher proportion of body fat on average. The figure falls with age, from about 75% at birth to nearer 50% in later life.
Structural reference only — this is not medical advice, and individual variation in every figure here is substantial. Anything concerning your own health belongs with a clinician rather than a reference page.
Common questions
- What does the body water do?
- Water is the medium for essentially every biochemical process, transports nutrients and waste, cushions joints and organs, and carries heat to the skin for cooling..
- Body water — key numbers
- Adult male: about 60%. Adult female: about 55%. Newborn: about 75%. Brain and heart: about 73%. Bone: about 31%.
Related pages
- Cells in the body About 36 trillion, of which roughly 80% are red blood cells.
- Heart Organs
- Brain Organs
- Bones Bones
- Blood types Blood
- Teeth Teeth
- Blood Blood
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place