Osmoregulation

What are osmoconformers?

• Marine organisms that maintain an internal environment isosmotic to their external environment and cannot regulate the solutes of their body fluids at a concentration different from that of the external medium.

• Freshwater organisms that actively excrete salts to maintain their internal environment.

• Terrestrial organisms that can regulate their internal osmotic pressure regardless of external conditions.

• Organisms that can survive in extreme salinity by altering their metabolic processes.

Give examples of osmoregulators.

• Fish

• Reptiles

• Amphibians

• Insects

What are osmoregulators?

• Organisms that can regulate the solute concentration of their body fluids above or below that of their external environment, controlling the osmolarity of their tissues within very narrow limits.

• Organisms that cannot regulate their internal solute concentration and must match their environment.

• Organisms that only live in freshwater environments and have no ability to adapt to saltwater.

• Organisms that primarily rely on external environmental conditions to maintain their internal balance.

What are the two main types of animals in terms of osmoregulation?

• Osmoregulators and osmoconformers.

• Herbivores and carnivores.

• Mammals and reptiles.

• Aquatic and terrestrial.

What are the units for osmotic concentration?

• Moles per litre (mol L−1)

• Osmoles per litre (osmol L−1)

• Grams per litre (g L−1)

• Millimoles per litre (mmol L−1)

Give examples of osmoconformers.

• Sea stars, molluscs, marine crabs, jellyfish

• Freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles

• Terrestrial mammals, birds, insects

• Coral reefs, sea urchins, freshwater snails

What is osmoregulation?

• The process by which organisms maintain their internal water balance and solute concentration.

• A method of regulating body temperature in cold-blooded animals.

• The ability of organisms to adapt to extreme environmental conditions.

• The mechanism by which organisms reproduce in aquatic environments.