Osmoregulation in Newts and Lizards
The intracellular processes of animals require that a relatively stable concentration of water be maintained. This task is not an easy one because the cells of animals are surrounded by permeable membranes which allow the passage of water readily. To maintain stable concentrations, animals exchange ions and water between the intracellular fluid, extracellular fluid, blood plasma, and environment. Maintaining adequate internal water concentrations is done by a variety of mechanisms which are highly variable depending upon the organism. These mechanisms appear to have evolved to suit the organism to the specific environment in which it lives. If the organism is removed from this environment, water loss or gain may be extremely detrimental. This study utilized two animals, the California Newt (Taricha torosa) and the Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) in an attempt to better understand the effects of osmotic change due to environments. T. torosa is a semi-terrestrial amphibian, and like all amphibians, respires through the integument. In a fresh water aquatic environment, this is advantageous for oxygen uptake as well as for maintaning an adequate internal fluid osmolarity. In the terrestrial envir
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Feder Burggren, Polytechnic University, Brown Brown, III Results, Lizard Sceloporus, IV Discussion, , Light Bennett, Summary Taricha, water loss, County California, warm dry, feder burggren 1992, feder burggren, dry environment, presence water, burggren 1992, evaporative water, dry conditions, environmental conditions, body mass, evaporative water loss, water potential organism, warm dry environment, tested environmental condition,
Approximate Word count = 2430
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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