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Biology - Osmoregulatory Mechanisms

Osmoregulatory Mechanisms

Mechanisms vary according to the medium in which the organism lives.

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* take in water in their food and drink

* structural adaptations: body covering; for example, the chitinous
exoskeleton of many arthropods, with its waterproof covering; oil glands on
body surface; reduction in density of sweat pores on body surface

* behavioural adaptations: burrowing by organisms; for example, worms and
desert frogs; movement of organisms; for example, leaf litter organisms to
humid areas; condensation of water on the body surfaces of some arthropods
and reptiles, which is then channelled to their mouth

* physiological adaptations: tolerance for high concentrations of
nitrogenous waste; some desert mammals obtain water from cellular
respiration of dry food

Beetle: the tough, waterproof exoskeleton is made of chitin

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