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Exercise 4 Osmoregulation
Exercise 4 Osmoregulation
Osmoregulation
INTRODUCTION
Living cells have developed the ability to persist in the face of a fundamental
optimal milieu for the processes that are essential to the maintenance of the living
state and maintain the ability to regulate that composition as defense against external
nearly constant osmotic pressure in body fluids regardless of the osmotic pressure in
organisms actively regulate the level of water and mineral salts in their bodies or organ
systems.
moist soil but during rainy seasons they are exposed to an aquatic environment (Dietz
moist soil, live indefinitely in freshwater (Roots 1956). They have a cuticle relatively
thinner than the muscle layers, presumably because oxygen absorption is cutaneous.
In the subsoil habitat, oxygen levels may be quite variable, but it is commonly observed
that earthworms surface periodically (Evans 2008). They move to the surface after
heavy rains, which is a phenomenon driven by the low oxygen levels in their flooded
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burrows. It is also possible that osmotic stress of a sudden deluge of freshwater may
also be a factor. Earthworms are able to survive several months in freshwater of the
appropriate ionic composition (Roots 1956). Soil salinity is also an important factor
that determines the survival of earworms because they are highly sensitive to salt
stress. Salinity may reduce their growth at low salt concentrations or cause mortality
at high salt concentrations due to their inability to tolerate high ionic strength. High salt
concentrations destroy their sensitive skin, and the earthworms cannot have control
over the osmotic regulation. In addition, the neurosecretory cells in earthworms play a
Specifically, the study aimed to explain responses of Lumbricus sp. to varying moisture
conditions and solute concentrations; and to describe the ion concentration and
osmoconforming organisms.
the college. The earthworms were placed on dry paper towels and gently rolled to
remove adhering debris. They were soaked in tap water overnight for at least 8 hours.
The worms were weighed in groups of five and placed in separate petri dishes
containing enough water to immerse the worms. The weights of each set-up was
weighed after 15 minutes and 30 minutes. Each group was transferred to different
beakers containing 100 ml of saline solutions ranging from 0 M (tap water), 0.05 M,
0.1 M, 0.25 M and 0.3 M. Each set-up was weighed at 20 minute intervals for 2 hours.
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The earthworms submerged in tap water solution (0 M NaCl) was removed from the
solution and transferred to a box containing extremely dry soil. The weights of the
worms were determined at 20 minute intervals for 2 hours. The results were recorded
and plotted into a line graph where the weight changes against time. The percentage
gained and lost in weight against time and against osmotic value of saline solution was
also plotted.
Organisms that constitute the phylum Annelida are remarkably diverse and
occupy habitats from open ocean, estuaries, freshwater and soil in terrestrial
these specific niches, but one of the most important adaptations is certainly the
capacity to regulate internal osmotic pressure and the composition of cellular and
tissue osmolytes.
challenges and desiccation stress. They face the challenge of conserving wayer
unless they dry out and die. In most cases, they maintain the volume of water and salt
concentration in the body fluid. During growth, they tend to take in more water to
increase its volume. Osmoregulation is observed which is the regulation of body fluids.
such as freshwater and terrestrial animals, maintain a more or less stable internal
osmolarity. They exist in quite stable habitats where they do not face the added burden
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such as marine animals, have body fluids isomolar to their environment as they simply
media wherein their total body content remains constant over a wide range of
salinities, but a greater percentage of body water is extracellular in more dilute media
(Carley et al. 1983). In dilute media, the earthworm’s integumental water exchange is
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WEIGHT (g)
0
0 15 30
TIME (min)
1 2 3 4 5
4
0
RELATIVE PERCENTAGE (%) -1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10
15 30
TIME (min)
water as they decreased in body weight. The body weight decreased in 30 minutes
wherein water moved out of the earthworm’s body. This indicates that the tap water is
should gain water and body weight. In tap water, a hypotonic medium, the earthworms
are hyperosmotic. Water would diffuse into the earthworm, resulting to weight gain.
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Lumbricus terrestris are soil processor or detritus feeders. The typical osmotic
of varying moisture content and soils with different ionic concentrations. Due to their
important for their survival. With regard to the osmotic environment, earthworms
minimize drastic osmotic water loss via dessication or gain during flooding by rain
water and take advantage of microenvironments in the soil that moderate osmotic
stress.
4.5
3.5
3
WEIGHT (g)
0M
2.5 0.05 M
2 0.1 M
0.25 M
1.5
0.3 M
1
0.5
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
TIME (min)
6
140
120
RELATIVE PERCENTAGE (%)
100
80
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
20 40 60 80 100 120
TIME (min)
In the exercise, earthworms submerged in tap water for the first 60 minutes lost
water, however, gained water in the next 60 minutes. As the body weight increased,
the water moved inside of the earthworm’s body because the medium is hypoosmotic
in relation to the earthworm’s internal fluid. For the saline concentrations at 0.05 M,
0.1 M, 0.25 M and 0.3 M, water loss is observed wherein the earthworm’s body weight
decreased. Water moved out of the earthworm’s body because the saline media are
Initially, all set-ups had a 100 mL volume of each saline solution. However, on
the process of the exercise conducted weighing the earthworms on each 20 min
interval for 2 hours would incur an error for the final displaced volume. Transferring
the earthworms to another container and patting them dry before weighing displaces
water. Volume displacement would not be an accurate basis, instead the weight and
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relative percentage of the weight gained or lost could be a sufficient basis if the
Water is lost readily through the skin, and it can be gained by the same pathway
from the external environment with equal facility. Earthworms ligatured at both anterior
and posterior ends prior to immersion in water gains weight, about 7%, and then
maintains a constant weight level (Maloeuf 1940 ). Salts can also be taken in via the
body wall. Chloride ions disappear from dilute salt solutions containing worms
because it is thought actively uptake ions (Maloeuf 1940; Van Brink and Rietsema
1949). Water enters through the skin, a process which goes on very easily, and is
removed via the intestine. The loss in weight sustained by worms when handled was
due mainly to expulsion of fluid from the nephridiopores, (Wolf 1940). Maintenance of
water balance depends on balancing passive osmotic water gain driven by solute
transport (mainly ions) and nephridial loss. Lumbricus nephridia secrete a hypotonic
urine and recover ions and organic solutes. The osmotic pressure relationships in
Lumbricus indicate that hypotonic urine formation begins in the middle tube but is
largely formed in the wide tube. The typical osmotic pressure of Lumbricus coelomic
fluid is about 150 mOsm, and the urine may be 10 to 120% of this value.
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The terrestrial subsoil environment subjects the earthworms to potential
oligochaete, ideally would balance the water permeability properties of the body wall
to resist desiccation but allow water gain from the interstitial moisture of the soil (Evans
2008). Their intestine should be adapted to avid absorption of both salts and organic
relatively thinner than the muscle layers, presumably because oxygen absorption is
cutaneous. It is unlikely that the cuticle plus epidermal layer provides a serious barrier
to the influx and efflux of water through the body wall, so that changes in environmental
conditions can lead to considerable changes in the water balance of the animal
(Laverack and Kerkut 1963). In the subsoil habitat, oxygen levels may be quite
variable, but it is commonly observed that earthworms surface periodically. This would
cause exposure to high atmospheric oxygen levels. One of the reasons attributed to
the commonly observed phenomenon earthworms moving to the surface after heavy
rains is that they are driven to the surface by low oxygen levels in their flooded
burrows. In a waterlogged soil, earthworms remain partly stretched above the surface
of the soil in the water layer (Laverack and Kerkut 1963). Long survival of earthworms
under water depends not upon the ability to control the water circulation of the body,
but upon the ability to withstand prolonged starvation (Roots 1956). Earthworms will
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5
4.5
4
3.5
WEIGHT (g)
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
TIME (min)
WEIGHT (g)
5
RELATIVE PERCENTAGE (%)
-5
-10
-15
-20
20 40 60 80 100 120
TIME (min)
extremely dry soil, they continuously lost weight in the 20 minute interval for 2 hours.
A decrease in their body weight indicates water loss. Subjecting the earthworms in an
extremely dry soil is a setup mimicking a natural phenomenon wherein they undergo
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body wall suggest that potentially significant water loss may occur. In previous
laboratory studies, earthworms may lose as much as 60% of the body water content
for short periods and when rehydrated remain viable. From the initial weight of the
earthworms of 4.32 g, they decreased to 2.79 g after 2 hours in the extremely dry soil.
They lost a relative weight percentage of 153% of their initial body weight. Soil
conditions are rarely stable with regard to moisture content, however, and if they
become dry then earthworms lose moisture from the body. In nature, it is also likely
that behavioral responses trigger the migration of earthworms to soil with moisture to
avoid the most severe conditions which could lead to dehydration and death.
Based on the exercise, the comparison with the rate at which the earthworms
gained weight in water and lost in the dry soil could not be made because the
earthworms in tap water did not constantly gain water for 2 hours. Instead, in the first
60 minutes they lost water and in the remaining 60 minutes water gained was
observed as it increased in weight. For the earthworms in soil, they continuously lost
water as they continuously decreased in body weight. Theoretically, the loss of weight
in soil is a faster process than the gaining of weight in water (Adolph 1943). The minor
weight and accompanying volume changes serve to show that under normal field
conditions the earthworm maintains a water equilibrium with fair efficiency (Laverack
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CONCLUSION
wherein they maintain water and ionic balance in their body. In tap water, the
earthworms gained water while in saline solutions they lost water in their body. In
extremely dry soil, water lose was also observed in earthworms. The rate of water lose
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REFERENCES
Dietz, T.H., Alvarado, R.H. 1970. Osmotic and ionic regulation in Lumbricus terrestris
Evans, D. 2008. Osmotic and Ionic Regulation: Cells and Animals. CRC Press.
Hill, R.W., Wyse, G.A., Anderson, M. 2018. Animal physiology. New York: Sinauer
Laverack, M. S., Kerkut, G.A. 1963. The Physiology of earthworms. Oxford: New York,
Paris.
Maloeuf, N.S.R. 1940. The volume and osmo-regulative functions of the alimentary
Van Brink, J.M., Andrietsema, J. 1949. Some experiments on the active uptake o f
chlorine ions b y the earthworm {Lumbricus terrestris L.). Physiol, comp, et oecol.
1, 348-351.
Wolf, Α.V. 1940. Paths of water exchange in the earthworm. Physiol. Zoöl. 1 3 , 294-
308.
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APPENDIX
Table 1.1 Weight of Earthworm Set-ups after 30 minutes of Submersion in Tap Water
Table 2.1 Weight of Earthworm Set-ups after 2 hours of Submersion in Different Saline
Solutions
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Table 2.2 Weight Gained/Lost Percentage of Earthworm Set-ups after 2 hours of
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