Cincinnati Zoo

Homeostasis

Maintaining a body in a steady

state

Environments where freshwater is

scarce:
Desert
Invertebrates
Reptiles
Terrestrial Mammals

Ocean
Invertebrates
Fish
Marine Mammals, Turtles, & Birds

Hypersaline Lakes
Invertebrates

World-wide distribution of desert

environments

For example Shahara Desert is 3.5 mil sq. miles

Less than < 3 in. annual rainfall (6.7 cm)
Habitat: Rocky Plateaus (15%), Sandy Dunes (15%), Gravel Plains
(70%)

Adaptations for osmoregulation

(water balance)
Water Loss

Conservation
Utilization (Efficiency)
Storage capacity
Solute/waste excretion

LE 44-5

Water
balance in a
kangaroo rat
(2 mL/day)

Ingested
in food (0.2 mL)

Water
balance in
a human
(2,500 mL/day)
Ingested
Ingested in food
in liquid
(750 mL)
(1,500 mL)

Water
gain
Derived from
metabolism (1.8 mL)

Water
loss

Feces (0.09 mL)

Urine
(0.45 mL)

Evaporation (1.46 mL)

Derived from
metabolism (250 mL)

Feces (100 mL)

Urine
(1,500 mL)

Evaporation (900 mL)

Adaptations for osmoregulation

(water balance)
Water Loss

Conservation
Utilization (Efficiency)
Storage capacity
Solute/waste excretion

LE 44-8
Proteins

Nucleic acids

Amino acids

Nitrogenous bases

NH2
Amino groups

Most aquatic
animals, including
most bony fishes

Ammonia

Mammals, most
amphibians, sharks,
some bony fishes

Urea

Many reptiles
(including birds),
insects, land
snails

Uric acid

Waste management varies under

different circumstances:
Habitat
Terrestrial vs. aquatic turtles

Reproductive strategy
Mammals: maternal transport of waste
Amphibians: diffuse Ammonia out of egg
(lacking shell)
Birds/Reptiles: store as relatively less
toxic uric acid

Diet
Animal tissue => N-Wastes

Metabolic requirement
metabolism => N-Wastes

Adaptations for osmoregulation

(water balance)
Water Loss

Conservation
Utilization (Efficiency)
Storage capacity
Solute/waste excretion

Metabolic Requirements
Unique physiologic structures
Renal structure
Salt Glands

Reduce Metabolic Requirements

Cincinnati Zoo

Reduce metabolic rate

Slow heart, blood flow
Reduces O2 consumption
Reduces body temp

Reduce activity

100 m
100 m

Hydrated tardigrade

Dehydrated
tardigrade

Seek shelter, such as a burrow, shade,

deeper water
e.g. Fennec, Leatherback
Enter torpor (or estivation, in summer)
resting state
e.g. Tarigrade, Mulgara, Longnecked Turtles

Basic concept review:

Diffusion

Osmosis

Solutes move from

greater solute
concentration to lower
conc.

Diffusion of water
through a selectively
permeable membrane

Surface area to volume (SA:V)

d=2
3:2
3:1

Chptr 40: Animal Form & Function, pp. 820-821

d=1

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Order Artiodactyla
Family Camelidae

Dromedary or Arabian Camel

(Camelus dromedarius)
Adaptations to Heat Loss
Anatomy
Hump (Fat = H20 Storage)
Lips (chewing tough vegetation)
Double eyelashes

Physiology
Increase body temp to match
ambient temp
Body temp. range: 34 - 42C (8C
range)

Behavior
Huddling
Tracking sun

Class Mammalia

Water lost per day

(L/100 kg body mass)

LE 44-6

4
3
2
1
0

Control group
(Unclipped fur)

Experimental group
(Clipped fur)

Kingdom Animalia
Order Carnivora

Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Suborder Caniformia
Family Canidae

Fennec Fox
(Fennecus zerda [=Volpes zerda])
Sahara Desert
Cincinnati Zoo

Anatomy

Small body size

Large ears
Furred foot pads

Behavior
Burrowing ( Humidity)
Nocturnal

Physiology (Water Loss)

Reduced heart rate
Reduced metabolic rate

85 - 95 F

Banholzer, U. 1976. Water balance, metabolism, and heart rate in the Fennec.
Naturwissenschaften 63 (4): 202-203.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Infraclass Marsupialia Order Dasyuromorphia
Suborder Dasyuridae Family
Dasyurinae

Mulgara
(Dasycercus cristicauda)

Occurs in arid, sandy

regions of Australia
Related to marsupials
Example of convergent
evolution with rodents
Small size, long tail
Fossorial (burrowing)
Nocturnal

Bannertail kangaroo rat

(Dipodomys spectabilis)

Torpor bouts 3 to 12 hr
thus reduce metabolism to
<12% of normal rate**

*Nocon, W. 1999. "Dasycercus cristicauda" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 24, 2008 at
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasycercus_cristicauda.html.
**Geiser, F and P. Masters. 1994. Torpor in relation to reproduction in the mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda
(Dasyuridae: Marsupialia) J. THERM. BIOL. 19 (1) pp. 33-40.

LE 44-18c

Roadrunner
(Geococcyx californianus)

Desert iguana
(Dipsosaurus dorsalis)

Marine Environment
Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink
- Coleridge

Ionic gradient set up: organism less salty than

environment, salts want to enter body, water to
leave (dehydration)
Most marine invertebrates are osmoconformers
Most marine vertebrates and some invertebrates
are osmoregulators
Hypotonic less salty than environment
Hypertonic - saltier than environment

Marine Invertebrates

Polyclad Flatworm

Most inverts are osmo

isotonic with environment
(e.g. sponges)
Some have specialized
protonephridia composed
of ciliated flame cells to
transport solutes and
waste products for
elimination

Filtration

Metanephridia: most annelids

Malpighian tubules: insects

Freshwater vs. Marine Fish

Osmotic water gain
through gills and body surface
water and some
ions in food

salt ions
by gills

Excrete
large amounts of
Dilute urine

Freshwater animals are hyperosmotic to

their environment
They lose salts by diffusion and maintain
water balance by excreting large amounts
of dilute urine
Salts lost by diffusion are replaced by foods
and uptake across the gills

Gain of water and

salt ions from food
and seawater

Excretion of
salt ions
from gills

Osmotic water loss

through gills and body surface

Excretion of salt ions

and small amounts
of water in scanty
urine from kidneys

Marine bony fishes are hypoosmotic

to sea water
They lose water by osmosis and gain
salt by diffusion and from food
They balance water loss by drinking
seawater

Kingdom Animalia
Order Testudines

Phylum Chordata
Family Cheloniidae

Subphylum Vertebrata Class Reptilia

Green Sea Turtle

(Chelonia mydas)
The primary osmo-regulatory
mechanism in sea turtles is the salt
gland
The surface area: volume ratio is
different for age classes: a 50g
immature has greater surface area,
and larger relative salt glands (0.3% of
body size) than a 50 kg subadult (0.05
0.1%)
i.e., osmotic challenge varies by age

Kingdom Animalia
Order Testudines

Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Class Reptilia

Family Dermocheliidae

Salt glands secrete monovalent ions (Na+),

which is the main constituent of seawater,
while renal system processes bivalent ions
(Mg++)
Leatherback Sea
Turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea)

Sea turtles, marine reptiles & marine birds:

super-saline secretions from salt glands

Lacrymal (turtles) eye secretions

Nasal (lizards)
Post-orbital (birds)
Sublingual or premaxillary (snakes)
Lingual (crocodiles)

Prange, H.D. 1985. Osmoregulation: water and salt balance in sea turtles Copeia 1985
(3): 771-776.
Hudson, D. M. and P. L. Lutz 1986. Salt Gland Function in the Leatherback Sea Turtle,
Dermochelys coriacea Copeia, 1986 (1):247-249

Salt glands in marine birds

Nasal salt gland
Nostril
with salt
secretions
Pink-footed Shearwater (P. Hodum)
Puffinus cretapus

Salt glands of marine birds remove excess sodium chloride

from the blood
Use transport epithelia, which are specialized cells that
regulate solute movement arranged in complex tubular
networks

Lumen of
secretory tubule

Vein
Capillary
Artery

Secretory
tubule

NaCl

Transport
epithelium

Direction
of salt
movement

Blood
flow Secretory cell
of transport
epithelium
Central
duct

Structure of Kidney
Kidney

Renal
medulla
Renal
cortex

Ureter
Urinary bladder
Urethra
Ureter
Kidney structure

Section of kidney from a rat

Afferent
arteriole
Glomerulus
from renal
Bowmans capsule
artery
Proximal tubule
Peritubular capillaries

Renal
cortex

SEM

Collecting
duct

20 m
Renal
medulla

Distal
tubule
Collecting
duct

Descending
limb

Nephron

Loop
of
Henle Ascending
limb

Filtrate and blood flow

LE 44-13

Vasa
recta

LE 44-14

Proximal tubule

Distal tubule

NaCl Nutrients
HCO3
K+
H2O

H2O

H+

NH3

NaCl

K+

HCO3

H+

CORTEX
Descending limb
of loop of
Henle

Filtrate
H2O
Salts (NaCl and others)
HCO3
H+
Urea
Glucose; amino acids
Some drugs

Thick segment
of ascending
limb
NaCl

H2O
OUTER
MEDULLA

NaCl
Thin segment
of ascending
limb

Key

Collecting
duct
Urea

NaCl

Active transport
Passive transport
INNER
MEDULLA

H2O

Kidney: Nephron

Kingdom Animalia
Order Carnivora

Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Suborder Pinnipedia
Family Otariidae

California Sea Lion

(Zalophus californianus)

Cross-section

Derive water from food fish,

squid
All marine mammals have
reniculate kidneys
which means that instead of
having two single beanshaped kidneys, each kidney
is instead made up of
grapelike clusters of smaller,
independent kidney units, or
renicles, as shown

Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center

ADH: Anti-diuretic Hormone

Hypersaline
Environments
Mono Lake, CA (HN)

Often very simple food web & trophic

level structure
Hypersaline lakes:
e.g. Mono Lake, Great Salt Lake

American Avocet

Great Salt Lake, Utah (photo: NASA)

Lower trophic level, low diversity: Brine

shrimp (Artemia spp.)
Higher trophic level, great diversity:
shorebirds, gulls & grebes

http://ut.water.usgs.gov/shrimp/index.html "Brine
Shrimp and Ecology of Great Salt Lake",
United States Geological Survey

Hypersaline
Environments

Avocets feeding in hypersaline Mono Lake, Lee County, CA 2007 H. Nevins

Hypersaline
Environments
Laysan Is., Hawaii (photo: USFWS)

Laysan Ducks (photo: USFWS)

High level of endemism

Hypersaline lagoons:
e.g. Laysan Is., NW Hawaiian
Islands
Brine flies (Ephydra spp.)
Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis)

READY FOR
a QUIZ ???

California Gull, Mono Lake, CA 2007 H. Nevins

Quiz:
Name three taxa which occur in
freshwater-scarce environments
Give a key physiological or behavioral
adaptation for each to reduce water loss
How would you expect the structure of the
loop of Henle to differ among a tropical
forest and a desert rodent?

Answers:
Name three species which occur in freshwater-scarce
environments
Camelus, Artemia, Zalophus, others

Give a key physiological or behavioral adaptation for

each to reduce water loss
Camelus: hump - water storage, orient to sun, fur
Mulgara: fossorial, torpor
Zalophus: reticulate liver

How would you expect the structure of the Loop of Henle

to differ among a tropical forest and a desert rodent?
Shorter in tropics, longer in desert to increase water absorption

Questions?

Avocets feeding in hypersaline Mono Lake, Lee County, CA 2007 H. Nevins