# "There are over twenty bodily fluids present in the human body" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881 "2014-04-24T18:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/1 "2014-04-24T18:34:59Z")
“…and I am proud to say I have tasted all of them.” Thus spoke Harry Dean Stanton in _Young Doctors in Love_. Let’s list them (I’ll do the easy ones): 1. Blood 2. Saliva 3. Sweat 4. Urine 5. Feces 6. Semen 7. Vaginal secretions 8. Bile 9. Stomach acid 10. Tears 11. Snot ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/2 "2014-04-24T18:39:34Z")
Breastmilk. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/3 "2014-04-24T18:43:50Z")
The Melancholic Humor ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/4 "2014-04-24T18:47:21Z")
Earwax ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/5 "2014-04-24T18:48:23Z")
Spinal fluid ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/6 "2014-04-24T18:49:00Z")
1. Earwax (as it’s produced or, more likely, softened by sweat/saliva/whatever) –G? ☹ Ninja’d by the Flywheel! ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/7 "2014-04-24T18:52:54Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > 1. Earwax (as it’s produced or, more likely, softened by sweat/saliva/whatever) > > –G? > ☹ Ninja’d by the Flywheel! Well, fine then. :mad: Is placental fluid just a mixture of stuff already listed? Amniotic fluid. Intracellular fluid (the stuff all those organelles are floating in). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/8 "2014-04-24T18:52:56Z")
Lymph Vitreous humor Colonic mucus pancreatic secretions ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/9 "2014-04-24T18:54:56Z")
Pus ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/10 "2014-04-24T18:57:36Z")
If you separate out blood you get plasma or serum (depending on the method of separation) and the red blood cells. You can separate even further and get cryoprecipitate but that comes from the plasma so maybe it doesn’t count as another fluid? And I was going to say Lymph, too, but on preview I see I was ninja’d by Qadgop. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/11 "2014-04-24T18:59:32Z")
Beer. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/12 "2014-04-24T19:06:02Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > If you separate out blood you get plasma or serum (depending on the method of separation) and the red blood cells. You can separate even further and get cryoprecipitate but that comes from the plasma so maybe it doesn’t count as another fluid? Or going the other way, throw someone in a giant blender, and it will all comes out one homgenous fluid. So I say there’s only one fluid in the human body: “corpse-slurry” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/13 "2014-04-24T19:16:15Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Or going the other way, throw someone in a giant blender, and it will all comes out one homgenous fluid. > > So I say there’s only one fluid in the human body: “corpse-slurry” Sure, you can do that if you get yourself a Corpse-O-Matic '76! _drinks_ Wow, that’s terrific corpse! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/14 "2014-04-24T19:44:15Z")
Synovial fluid. The stuff that pops when you crack your knuckles. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/15 "2014-04-24T19:47:21Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Beer. Coors Light was covered with ‘Urine’ at least. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/16 "2014-04-24T20:07:41Z")
So to tabulate our results so far: 1. Blood (plasma & serum) 2. Saliva 3. Sweat 4. Urine 5. Feces 6. Semen 7. Vaginal secretions 8. Bile 9. Stomach acid (Gastic acid) 10. Tears 11. Snot (Mucus) 12. Breast milk 13. Earwax (Cerumen) 14. Spinal fluid (Cerebrospinal fluid) 15. Placental fluid 16. Amniotic fluid 17. Intracellular fluid (Cytosol) 18. ``` Lymph ``` 19. Vitreous humor 20. Colonic mucus 21. Pancreatic secretions 22. Pus 23. Synovial fluid plus I checked Wiki and got a few more: 1. Aqueous humor 2. Endolymph 3. Perilymph 4. Sebum 5. Interstitial fluid (Peritoneal fluid, Pleural fluid, Pericardial fluid etc.) 6. Female ejaculate 7. Chyle 8. Chyme 9. Rheum 10. Sputum 11. Vomit And of these I’ve only tasted about 8. And you? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/17 "2014-04-24T20:24:27Z")
> [@Encinitas](#): > > And of these I’ve only tasted about 8. And you? Really? I think pretty much everyone has tasted blood, saliva, sweat, bile, stomach acid, snot, tears, pus ( from biting a too hot pizza slice and getting blisters in your mouth) and most people have probably tasted breastmilk, even if they don’t remember it. That’s ten right there. And depending on your sexual orientation, most people have probably tasted some combination of semen, vaginal secretions and female ejaculate. Stuff like intracellular fluid is kinda hard to say. I’ve certainly eaten things of which it was a component, but I couldn’t really tell you if I “tasted” it or not. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/18 "2014-04-24T20:30:48Z")
Your are right. I forgot that I was breast fed! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/19 "2014-04-24T21:00:19Z")
A lot of these are just combinations of the others. Vomit, for instance, is digestive juices (already listed) mixed with ingested food (and if we count that as a bodily fluid, then anything we drink is one). But as a physicist, I’m going to add carbon dioxide. It’s a fluid, it’s produced by the body, and it’s always found within the body to some degree, which I think qualifies it to be called a “bodily fluid”. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881/20 "2014-04-24T21:08:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But as a physicist, I’m going to add carbon dioxide. It’s a fluid, it’s produced by the body, and it’s always found within the body to some degree, which I think qualifies it to be called a “bodily fluid”. “It tastes like burning!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-over-twenty-bodily-fluids-present-in-the-human-body/686881.md?page=2)