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Tonicity in Animals

Tonicity in Animals

The tonicity of a solution determines if a cell gains or loses water in that solution. The tonicity depends on the permeability of the cell membrane for different solutes and the concentration of nonpenetrating solutes in the solution within and outside of the cell. If a semipermeable membrane hinders the passage of some solutes but allows water to follow its concentration gradient, water moves from the side with low osmolarity (i.e., less solute) to the side with higher osmolarity (i.e.,...

Tonicity in Animals

Tonicity in Animals

Tonicity describes the amount of solute in a solution. The measure of the tonicity of a solution, or the total amount of solutes dissolved in a specific amount of solution, is called its osmolarity. Three terms—hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic—are used to relate the osmolarity of a cell to the osmolarity of the extracellular fluid that contains the cells. In a hypotonic solution, such as tap water, the extracellular fluid has a lower concentration of solutes than the fluid inside the cell,...

Osmoregulation in Fishes

Osmoregulation in Fishes

When cells are placed in a hypotonic (low-salt) fluid, they can swell and burst. Meanwhile, cells in a hypertonic solution—with a higher salt concentration—can shrivel and die. How do fish cells avoid these gruesome fates in hypotonic freshwater or hypertonic seawater environments?

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity in Plants

Plant cells maintain appropriate osmotic balance in extreme conditions. For instance, plants in dry environments store water in vacuoles, limit the opening of their stoma, and have thick, waxy cuticles to prevent unnecessary water loss. Some species of plants that live in salty environments store salt in their roots. As a result, water osmosis occurs in the root from the surrounding soil.
Tonicity
Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water depending on the solute...

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water. It depends on the quantity of solute that does not penetrate the membrane. Tonicity delimits the magnitude and direction of osmosis and results in three possible scenarios that alter the volume of a cell: hypertonicity, hypotonicity, and isotonicity. Due to differences in structure and physiology, tonicity of plant cells is different from that of animal cells in some scenarios.

Osmoregulation in Insects

Osmoregulation in Insects

Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.

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Related Experiment Video

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The Barnacle Balanus improvisus as a Marine Model - Culturing and Gene Expression

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Do Acartia tonsa (Dana) eggs regulate their volume and osmolality as salinity changes?

Benni Winding Hansen¹, Guillaume Drillet, Morten F Pedersen

¹Department of Environmental, Social, and Spatial Change, Roskilde University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark. bhansen@ruc.dk

Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology

|January 25, 2012

Summary

Acartia tonsa copepod eggs can tolerate gradual salinity changes but not extreme conditions. Their embryos are protected by the plasma membrane, acting as an osmometer within a specific salinity range.

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Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Ecology
Physiology

Background:

Euryhaline copepods, like Acartia tonsa, inhabit environments with fluctuating salinities.
Understanding egg tolerance to salinity is crucial for marine invertebrate survival and population dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of a wide range of salinity changes on Acartia tonsa subitaneous eggs.
To determine the osmoregulatory capacity and protective mechanisms of A. tonsa embryos under varying salinity conditions.

Main Methods:

Eggs were exposed to salinities from 0 to over 70 psu.
Egg volume, osmolality, respiration, and hatching success were measured.
The perivitelline space and plasma membrane roles were investigated.

Main Results:

Egg volume and osmolality changed with external salinity, indicating limited regulation.
Respiration was unaffected by low salinity exposure.
Gradual salinity changes (35 to 2 psu and back) did not impact hatching success.
Extreme hypersalinity (76 psu) caused egg implosion and embryo death.

Conclusions:

Acartia tonsa eggs exhibit limited osmoregulatory ability, relying on the perivitelline space as an osmometer.
The plasma membrane likely protects the embryo from osmotic stress within the 5-35 psu range.
Embryo survival depends on the rate of salinity change and the maintenance of plasma membrane integrity.