Chloride (or Chlorine), (Symbol Cl, Latin chorum, chlorinum, from Greek chloros green )-Note:Chlorine is a yello-green gaseous element. It is a powerful disinfectant, and irritant poison. Chlorine gas combined with oxygen (ClO2, is an oxidizing and germicidal (germ- killing) agent employed for the purification of water and for bleaching. Chloride, on the other hand, is the element chlorine. Hoever, the suffix (ending of the word) "ine" implies that the chlorine atom is now negatively charged. This is usually the case when chlorine combines with another element. Remember, when two different elements combine we get a compound. for example, Sodium (Na) combined with Chlorine (Cl) yields NaCL, or common table salt. Since the Chlorine atom must attach to the atom of Sodium to make NaCl, there must be a way that they stick together, right? Of course. They stick together by using a "sort of glue". Not glue in the traditional sense of the word, but rather by clinging together by sharing components of each other called "electrons". By sharing or transferring electrons, the two different atoms become bonded or "stuck" together. When this bonding occurs, the new molecule, or compound now has different propertiees than the two original atoms that formed it. For example, common table salt is harmless, but look at its constituents. Chlorine is a poisonous gas and sodium is a highly reactiue metal.
Now that we see that chlorine and chloride are the same element, but in different states, or in different combination with different elements, we will refer to this element as chloride. This is because the state that chlorine occupies in the human body is in the chloride form, since it comes primarily from salt (which contains the chloride form of chlorine). Chlorine, along with potassium and sodium, function to regulat osmolarity and pH of intracellular (inside cells) fluids and extracellular (outside of the cells) fluids. Chloride also is involved in the transmission of signals along a nerve.
RDA of chloride
There is not yet any established RDA for chloride. However, most diets supply chloride in the form of salts (sodium chloride, NaCl).
Toxicity of chloride
Since chloride is obtained from salt, toxicity or harmful side effects from sodium constituent of salt, such as the relationship to hypertension, are focused upon, rather than chloride. Chlorine gas, on the other hand, used for pools and in industry, is very dangerous and can kill in small amounts in vapour form.