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Excretion and Osmoregulation

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Excretion and Osmoregulation
BI108 Animal Biology

Lab Report

Practical 6: Osmoregulation and Excretion of Vertebrates and Invertebrates

Title:
Osmoregulation and Excretion of Vertebrates and Invertebrates
Abstract:
In every aspect of an environment, there is a variance in the concentration of fluids present in the environment and the bodies of organisms. Osmoregulation is the regulation of water and ion concentrations in the body. Keeping this regulation precise is critical in maintaining life in a cell. Balance of water and ions is partly linked to excretion, the removal of metabolic wastes from the body. An animal’s nitrogenous wastes reflect its phylogeny and habitat
Introduction:
Osmoregulation is the control of water content and the concentration of salts in the body of an animal. In freshwater species osmoregulation must counteract the tendency for water to pass into the animal by osmosis. Various methods have been developed to eliminate the excess such as contractile vacuoles in protozoans and kidneys in freshwater fish. Marine vertebrates have the opposite problem; these species prevent excessive water loss and enhance the excretion of salts with short tubules. In terrestrial vertebrates the dangers of desiccation are reduced by the presence of long renal tubules that increase the reabsorption of water and salts.
Moreover, an osmoregulator is referred to as the state when body fluids whose concentration is different from that of their environment, so these organisms use up a lot of energy in having to control and gain water. An osmoconformer, is when body fluids with a solute concentration is equal to that of seawater.
Furthermore, this report aims to identify the osmoregulator and the osmoconformer of the given species as well as to compare the specific gravity of each body fluid.
Materials:
As per the BI108 lab 6 handout.
Method:
As per the BI108 lab 6 handout.

Results:
Notes:
The Malpighian tubules function as an excretory system and aid in

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