three homeostatic processes
osmotic regulation
ionic regulation
nitrogen excretion
osmotic regulation
osmotic pressure of body fluids
ionic regulation
concentration of specific ions
nitrogen excretion
excretion of end-products of protein metabolism
osmotic pressure is created by…
solutes
osmosis
diffusion of water
osmotic pressure
force associated with diffusion of water
osmolarity
ability of solution to induce water to diffuse across a membrane
-determined by total concentration of dissolved particles
(see pg 29-30)
-most cells are perfect osmometers
sea water’s % salinity
3.5% salinity/sea salts
hyperosmotic solution
loss/outflow of water to equalize osmotic pressure
-occurs in marine environment
hyposmotic solution
inflow of water to equalize osmotic pressure
-occurs more in freshwater environment
tonicity
-measure of osmotic pressure gradient of two solutions separated by a semipermeable membrane
(often used when describing the response of cells immersed in an external solution, ie. hyper/hypotonic)
osmoregulation overview
useful terms: apical
side facing external environment/lumen
useful terms: basolateral
-side facing internally
interstitial (fluids)
small area between cells
solutions vs solutes vs solvents
solutions=solute+solvent
solutes=thing being dissolved
solvents=thing solute being dissolved into
ionic and osmotic challenges for marine environments
animals tend to gain salts and lose water
freshwater ionic and osmotic challenges
-animals tend to lose salts and gain water
terrestrial ionic and osmotic challenges
animals tend to lose water
importance of ionic and osmotic regulation
ion concentration can affect structure and function of macromolecules
-disrupts proper cellular function
cells exposed to osmotic gradients can shrink of swell
-can damage or destroy cell, cause disruptions in cell-cell communication
regulators vs conformers
reg=internal environment different from external and/or internal stays stable while external changes
conformers=internal conditions similar to external conditions even when external conditions change
ionoconformer
exert little control over ion profile within extracellular space
-exclusively found in marine animals, ie. many invertebrates
ionoregulator
- ie. most vertebrates