Osmotic conformation and regulation

Question 1

What is an osmoconformer?

Answer 1

An animal whose internal salt and water concentration matches the salt and water concentration of the environment

Question 2

What is the internal osmolarity of the blood of an animal that is an osmoconformer relative to the environment?

Answer 2

Will be close to or equal to the osmolarity of the environment

Question 3

What will happen to the internal osmolarity of an osmoconformer animal if the osmolarity of the environment changes?

Answer 3

It will change with the environment and follow the isosmotic line

Question 4

What is an osmoregulator?

Answer 4

Internal salt and water is kept within a constant narrow range regardless of what happens in the environment

Question 5

What is the internal osmolarity of the blood of an animal that is an osmoregulator relative to the environment?

Answer 5

Will be higher or lower than the environment, but will stay constant

Question 6

What will happen to the internal osmolarity of an osmoregulator animal if the osmolarity of the environment changes?

Answer 6

Will stay constant

Question 7

Are animals usually osmoconformers or osmoregulators?

Answer 7

Usually a mix of both. They will often try to regulate but eventually conform at a certain point

Question 8

What is a euryhaline animal?

Answer 8

An animal that can tolerate a wide range of osmotic conditions

Question 9

What is a stenohaline animal?

Answer 9

An animal that can only tolerate a narrow range of osmotic conditions

Question 10

What are the 3 ways osmotic strategies are differentiated in animals?

Answer 10

1. The osmotic gradient between the animal and the environment
2. The degree to which the internal osmolarity changes in relation to changes in the external osmolarity
3. The degree of tolerance of an osmotic challenge

Question 11

What are the 4 osmotic strategies?

Answer 11

1. Euryhaline osmoconformer
2. Stenohaline osmoconformer
3. Euryhaline osmoregulator
4. Stenohaline osmoregulator