Loss of water from the ECF compartment increases the sodium concentration, a condition called hypernatremia. Sodium ions are the major cation in the extracellular fluid (ECF) and as such are the major contributor to the ECF osmotic pressure and ECF compartment volume. Sodium is an essential element for all animals and some plants. Among many other useful sodium compounds, sodium hydroxide ( lye) is used in soap manufacture, and sodium chloride ( edible salt) is a de-icing agent and a nutrient for animals including humans. Sodium was first isolated by Humphry Davy in 1807 by the electrolysis of sodium hydroxide. Many salts of sodium are highly water-soluble: sodium ions have been leached by the action of water from the Earth's minerals over eons, and thus sodium and chlorine are the most common dissolved elements by weight in the oceans. Sodium is the sixth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and exists in numerous minerals such as feldspars, sodalite, and halite (NaCl). The free metal does not occur in nature and must be prepared from compounds. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin natrium) and atomic number 11.
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