Theme 13:

Osmoregulation Overview
Biology 224

Osmoregulation Overview

Summary
Basics

Osmoregulators
Osmosis
Trends and Concentrations
Problems
Different Environments

Osmoregulatory Organs
Gills and Lungs
Teleosts
CFTR

Kidneys
Malpighian tubules
Malpighian tubules process

Salt glands
Regulation

Osmoregulatory Hormones
Osmoregulatory Metabolism
Nitrogenous Waste

Basics of Osmoregulation
Osmoregulation: regulation of osmosis
through water-salt concentrations in body
with semi-permeable membranes
Conformers
Osmoregulation fluctuates with environment

Regulators
Osmoregulation is kept different from the
environment

Sodium outside, Potassium inside

Excretion to remove certain solutes

Osmoregulation Basics:
Trends
Example - in humans:
Solute

[Plasma]

[Urine]

g per 100 ml

g per 100 ml

Na+

0.30

0.3*

Cl-

0.40

0.6*

K+

0.016

0.2*

NH3

0.001

0.04*

urea

0.08

2.0*

glucose

0.09

protein

7.0

0
* varies

Osmoregulators
Maintain extracellular osmolarity and
ion composition constant
Strict extracellular homeostasis

Osmosis

Problems of Osmoregulation
Respiration
Direct contact with environment
Water loss of terrestrial animals is a
problem
Aquatic environments: water and salt
are problematic

Different Environments
Freshwater Environments
Environment is hypotonic to organism
Salt moves out of body by diffusion
Water moves into the body by osmosis

Marine Environments
Environment is hypertonic to organism
Salt moves into the body by diffusion
Water moves out of the body by osmosis

Osmoregulatory Organs
Bilateral Animals
System of tubules with with epithelia
cells
Regulates blood salt composition
Eliminates waste
Produces a urine

Salts and waste moved by active

transport or membrane channels
Water moves by osmosis

Osmoregulatory Organs: Gills and

Lungs
Gills involved in ion transport and
excretion of nitrogenous waste
Teleost fish
Marine fish: chloride cells, water loss
Adaptation from freshwater to seawater by
stimulating chloride secretion
Initiated by membrane potential of Na+
Cl- negative charge, Na+ positive, therefore will
balance each other out
Move 1 Na+ and 1 K+ out of cell, Move 2 Cl- in
Increase of NaK ATPase activity

Freshwater fish: water gain

Water Regulation on
Teleosts
Marine teleosts
absorb NaCl in order
to absorb water to
create an excess of
salt in the blood
Use epithelial Cl- cells
to actively transport
Na+ and Cl- outward
Adaption to salinity
triggers release of
chloride ions to
balance out sodiums
positive charge

Water Regulation on Salinity via

CFTR Expression
CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis) anion channel
In gills and intestine of epithelial cells of
teleost fish
Marine: ion secretion in apical
membrane
Freshwater: ion absorption in basolateral
membrane

Osmoregulatory Organs: Salt Glands

Excrete excess salt to maintain salt
balance and allow marine animal to
drink seawater
Salt Glands Na+ K+ Pump
Basolateral membrane
Moves salt from blood to gland
Blood through secretory cell to secretory
tubule

Na+ secreted as a concentrated solution

Osmoregulatory Organs: Salt Glands

Process in Birds
Salt gland excited by
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Corticosterone
ANP, atrial natriuretic peptide

Salt gland secretes high

concentration of NaCl solution
Kidney is shut down to prevent water
loss

Pathway of Salt Gland

Regulation
Parasymp
a

Hypothalamic
osmoreceptor

High blood osmolarity

Dehydration or
Hypersalinity
Seawater 0.45 M

thetic ne
rvous sys
t em

Pituitary
gland

Heart

Shut
down
kidney

Adrena
l gland

Atr

ia

corticosterone

etic
r
u
tri
a
n
l

Salt
gland

ide
t
p
pe

Water conservation

High NaCl
Solution
0.9 M

Osmoregulatory Organs:
Kidneys
Pronephros: immature kidney
Metanephros: developed adult kidney
Malpighian tubules: excretory and
osmoregulatory system of some insects
and arachnids
If kidney is different from the environment,
then it needs mechanisms to save water
Kidneys main function is a filtration system
Fluid blood (plasma) is filtrated by kidneys

Osmoregulatory Organs: The Kidney

Vertebrate Kidney
4 key processes

Filtration
Reabsorption
Secretion
Excretion = Filtration
Reabsorption + Secretion

Kidney physiology
depends on:

High blood pressure

Active transport
Passive diffusion
Regulation
Adaptation to environment

The Kidney
Functional unit of
kidney: nephron
Nephron consists of:
Bowmans capsule,
proximal convoluted
tubule, loop of
Henle, distal
convoluted tubule,
collecting duct
Important for finetuning the blood

Proximal
ConvolutedDistal
Convoluted
Tubule
Tubule

The Nephrons Pathway;

Reabsorption
The tubule is regionally
specialized for reabsorption,
cortex

low
[solute]

medulla

high
[solute]

Interstitial fluid within kidney

cortex & medulla is different.

19

ATP

Interstitial Fluid
Concentration
Allows more water to be
absorbed since there are 2
descending pathways
ATP required for ascending
segment

Osmoregulatory Organs: Malpighian

Tubules in Insects
Carry out
osmoregulation and
excretion
4 step process
1.
2.
3.
4.

Filtration
Reabsorption
Secretion
Excretion

Initial Fluid from

Blood Plasma to
start process
(insects)

Osmoregulatory Organs: Malpighian

Tubules
4 step process:
1. Filtration: non-selective movement of water and
solutes into the proximal end of tube

Pressure driven by blood pressure

Open circulatory: bodily fluids
Closed circulatory: blood

Hydrostatic pressure

2. Resabsorption: Specialized epithelium cells transport

back nutrients into ECF of blood
3. Secretion: SELECTIVE, eliminates substances for
transport
4. Excretion: waste products (urine) transported out of
body

Osmoregulatory Hormones
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide ANP
Secreted by heart
Controls high blood volume
Reduces overall blood pressure via
decrease in water, sodium, and adipose
loads

Osmoregulatory Hormones
Aldosterone
Secreted by adrenal cortex
Steroid hormone
Regulates bodys Na+ levels
Increase aldosterone: increase Na+
absorption

Osmoregulatory Hormones
ADH, Antidiuretic Hormone
Antidiuretic: anti urine, suppression of
urine
Vasopressin
Regulates water
Posterior pituitary gland
Inhibit ACH: increase water output
Alcohol and Caffeine inhibit ADH, which
increases urine secretion!

Osmoregulation:
Metabolism
Excretion of
Nitrogenous Waste
Products
Ammonia
Urea
Uric Acid

Human urine is
composed mainly
of urea, with some
traces of uric acid

Osmoregulation: Waste
Products
Determinants of
Waste Products
Energy requirement
Ammonia no energy
Uric acid needs energy

Amount of water in
environment
Ammonia high water
Uric acid low water

Toxicity of waste

Fig. 42.4, p. 1054

Ammonia highly toxic

Uric acid not toxic

Osmoregulation: Nitrogenous Waste

Products
Ammonia (NH3)
From metabolism of amino acids and
proteins
Toxic
Strong base, alters acid-base balance
Lots of water, organisms excrete
ammonia as primary nitrogenous waste
and surrounding water dilutes it