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Osmoregulation facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Osmoregulation is the maintenance of constant osmotic pressure in the fluids of an organism by the control of water and salt concentrations.

Kidneys play a very large role in human osmoregulation by regulating the amount of water reabsorbed from glomerular filtrate in kidney tubules, which is controlled by hormones such as antidiuretic hormone (ADH), aldosterone, and angiotensin II. For example, a decrease in water potential is detected by osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus, which stimulates ADH release from the pituitary gland to increase the permeability of the walls of the collecting ducts in the kidneys. Therefore, a large proportion of water is reabsorbed from fluid in the kidneys to prevent too much water from being excreted.

Images for kids

  • Bachforelle osmoregulatoin bw en2

    Movement of water and ions in freshwater fish

  • Osmoseragulation Carangoides bartholomaei bw en2

    Movement of water and ions in saltwater fish

  • Paramecium contractile vacuoles

    Protist Paramecium aurelia with contractile vacuoles.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Osmorregulación para niños

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