Osmoregulation Flashcards

All 5 cards in this deck

What is osmoregulation?

The control of the water (and dissolved solute) content of the blood and body fluids.

What happens to an animal cell if the blood plasma around it becomes too dilute?

Water enters the cell by osmosis, so the cell swells and may burst.

What happens to an animal cell if the blood plasma around it becomes too concentrated?

Water leaves the cell by osmosis, so the cell shrinks and cannot function properly.

True or false? An animal cell is protected from bursting in a dilute solution by its cell wall.

False. Animal cells have no cell wall, so they can burst if too much water enters by osmosis.

Which organs carry out osmoregulation in humans?

The kidneys — they adjust how much water is reabsorbed into the blood.