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Ch. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals
Freeman - Biological Science 8th Edition
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksFreeman 8th EditionCh. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in AnimalsProblem 16f
Chapter 40, Problem 16f

Fish and other aquatic organisms are exposed to many types of water pollutants, including metals such as aluminum. Although a low level of aluminum is found in unpolluted water, many lakes and streams have an increased level because of mining, sewage treatment, and accidental spills of toxic materials. Aluminum pollution can result in mass fish die-offs.
Draw a graph similar to the one here showing how the results would be different if the experiment had been performed on marine bony fish in seawater. (Assume that the osmolarity of seawater is 1100 mOsm and the set point osmolarity of marine bony fishes is 290 mOsm.)

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1
Understand the context: Marine bony fish live in seawater, which has a higher osmolarity (1100 mOsm) compared to their internal set point osmolarity (290 mOsm). This means they are constantly working to maintain their internal osmotic balance.
Consider the effect of aluminum pollution: Aluminum can affect the gill function of fish, which is crucial for osmoregulation. In marine environments, this could lead to difficulties in excreting excess salts and maintaining water balance.
Determine the expected physiological response: If aluminum impairs gill function, marine bony fish might struggle to excrete excess salts, leading to an increase in their internal osmolarity closer to the external environment.
Sketch the graph: On the x-axis, represent the concentration of aluminum in the water. On the y-axis, represent the internal osmolarity of the fish. Start with a baseline at 290 mOsm and show a trend where increasing aluminum concentration leads to an increase in internal osmolarity.
Label the graph: Clearly label the axes, and include a legend if necessary to indicate that the graph represents the internal osmolarity of marine bony fish in response to aluminum pollution in seawater.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Osmolarity

Osmolarity refers to the concentration of solutes in a solution, which affects the movement of water across cell membranes. In the context of marine bony fish, understanding osmolarity is crucial as it influences how these fish regulate their internal environment compared to the surrounding seawater, which has a higher osmolarity.
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Marine Bony Fish Physiology

Marine bony fish have specialized physiological adaptations to maintain homeostasis in a high-salinity environment. They actively regulate their internal osmolarity to be lower than that of seawater, using mechanisms like ion transport and water balance to prevent dehydration and maintain cellular function.
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Impact of Aluminum Pollution

Aluminum pollution can disrupt aquatic ecosystems by affecting fish health and survival. In fish, aluminum can interfere with gill function, impairing respiration and ion exchange, leading to stress and potentially mass die-offs. Understanding its impact is essential for assessing environmental risks and developing conservation strategies.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Fish and other aquatic organisms are exposed to many types of water pollutants, including metals such as aluminum. Although a low level of aluminum is found in unpolluted water, many lakes and streams have an increased level because of mining, sewage treatment, and accidental spills of toxic materials. Aluminum pollution can result in mass fish die-offs.

Why did the scientists do this experiment in a laboratory instead of simply collecting fish from a river with a high aluminum level and documenting their osmoregulatory ability?

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Textbook Question

Fish and other aquatic organisms are exposed to many types of water pollutants, including metals such as aluminum. Although a low level of aluminum is found in unpolluted water, many lakes and streams have an increased level because of mining, sewage treatment, and accidental spills of toxic materials. Aluminum pollution can result in mass fish die-offs. The scientists also measured the activity of Na+/K+-ATPase in the gills of the fish exposed to aluminum and compared it to that of the control fish.

What do you suppose were their results? Explain.

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Textbook Question

Fish and other aquatic organisms are exposed to many types of water pollutants, including metals such as aluminum. Although a low level of aluminum is found in unpolluted water, many lakes and streams have an increased level because of mining, sewage treatment, and accidental spills of toxic materials. Aluminum pollution can result in mass fish die-offs.

True or false: Water moves by osmosis across a fish's gills to an area with a higher sodium ion concentration because water molecules are attracted to the sodium ions.

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