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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.,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging

Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging

Published on: June 14, 2021

How animals follow the stars.

James J Foster¹, Jochen Smolka², Dan-Eric Nilsson²

¹Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 223 62, Sweden jjfoster86@gmail.com.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|January 26, 2018

Summary

Animals use stars for navigation, but how they interpret celestial cues remains a mystery. This review explores stellar orientation strategies and new research technologies for understanding animal navigation.

Keywords:

migration navigation orientation stars vision

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Area of Science:

Astronomy
Animal Behavior
Navigation

Background:

The stars have historically aided human navigation and scientific inquiry.
Understanding animal celestial navigation combines astronomical and biological challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

To review evidence for animal stellar orientation strategies.
To explore how animals convert star patterns into directional cues.
To introduce new technologies and experimental approaches for studying stellar orientation.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing studies on animal stellar orientation.
Comparative analysis of proposed stellar orientation strategies.
Discussion of novel technologies (e.g., sensors, imaging) and field experiment designs.

Main Results:

Several animal species utilize stars for directional information.
The precise mechanisms of stellar cue extraction and processing are not fully understood.
Evidence for various proposed orientation strategies is assessed.

Conclusions:

Stellar orientation in animals is a complex field requiring interdisciplinary approaches.
New technologies and experimental designs are crucial for elucidating underlying mechanisms.
Further research is needed to fully characterize how animals navigate by the stars.