dehydrates

Dehydrates is the verb form of dehydrate, meaning to remove water from a substance or to cause a loss of water in a living organism. The noun dehydration is often used for the process itself.

In biology and medicine, dehydration describes a condition in which the body loses more water than it takes in, leading to reduced blood volume and electrolyte imbalance. Causes include excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or insufficient fluid intake. Symptoms range from thirst and dry skin to dizziness and confusion; severe dehydration requires medical attention.

In chemistry and biochemistry, dehydration describes a chemical reaction that eliminates water from a molecule. Dehydration reactions are common in organic synthesis, such as converting alcohols to alkenes under acid catalysis, or in biochemistry as dehydration synthesis (condensation) that links monomers while releasing water.

Dehydration can be achieved by heating with drying agents such as sulfuric acid or phosphorus pentoxide, or by adsorption using silica gel or calcium chloride. In industry and food processing, dehydration is used to preserve products by removing moisture, including drying and freeze-drying technologies.

The term spans disciplines from healthcare to chemistry, illustrating how water removal affects physical properties, reactivity, and biological function.