a couple questions about human waste...?

Question

the human body needs alot of water every single day(atleast 8 glasses), but i don't drink maybe even half that much, i don't even drink straight water(watered down koolaid and tea and juices)..so why is my body waisting excess fluid when supposedly i need so much?..why do we even urinate? and why is urine yellow?

what does fecal matter consist of?...i'm thinking like fat and the actual matter of the food itself, but then again all of that is dissolved by stomach acid before it even becomes fecal matter and what makes it brown?

how long does it take for food and liquids to become excreted?(from the time of swallowing it till the time for it to come out)...these are all wierd questions that i've wanted to know since i was a kid but obviuosly couldn't just ask any random person....

thanks, very informitive...found out even more than i was asking...i like learning new things even if they are of a "gross" subject...

Answer 1

Here is a link for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feces

Answer 2

Good questions. I don't think all humans need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Perhaps if you do lots of physical work or exercize. Vitamins and minerals can be depleted through excess drinking. So, if you do drink that amount I'd advise taking supplements. Yellow urine is healty urine. When it becomes brownish thats a sign of infection or disease. Clear urine indicates the depletion of nutrients I was speaking of. Our bodies don't use all the nutrients in food at once and there is always substances in food that aren't absorbed and the body disposes of them. Have you ever noticed a dog eating the feces of another animal? There is still nutrients in the excretement. It may be gross but they may be looking for something that isn't in their own diets.

When you are dehydrated you will retain most of the water you were talking about excreting. Your body knows how much it needs.

Answer 3

That you need 8 glasses of water a day has no basis in fact.
It is an 'old wives tale' (look it up). Much of the water you need is from the foods that you eat. Every one is different, so their requirements for water are different.

Among other things, urine carries out toxins, dead cells, etc.
Urine is yellow because of bilirubin. Made up of dead cells and waste products.

Fecal matter contains alot of nitrogen.
Again, bilirubin causes it to be brown. (same color different shade than urine.)

Time for digestion varies. Depending on physical activity, the type of food/liquid, etc. hours or days.

This is mostly from memory. I read it in Cecil Adams book 'Straight Dope'.

I think there is a website with alot of this info. www.straightdope.com (look in the archive)

Answer 4

hi
the reason for drinking 8 glasses of water a day is to help eliminate fats have no idea why p is yellow
The waste is the leftover product after your body has digested the good stuff =it's brown as it gets mixed with bile in your stomache
it depends on what you are eating lighter foods leave in about a day more solid foods take 2 days

Answer 5

your body needs water to clean itself and to use for its processes. your body is something like 70 % water.
its really hard to drink 8 glass a day, but just remember to keep drinking it whenever u get a chance, carry a water bottle or something.
we pee cause its the waste out of our blood and junk stuff.
urine is yellow because it ....

$hit is smelly and i dont know much about that.