1. lifelines
  2. Battling ion loss

Battling ion loss

By dr. dolittle on May 21, 2014.

Freshwater fish are in a constant battle with their environment when it comes to maintaining their electrolyte balance as they are continuously losing ions to the surrounding water. Therefore, they have to actively absorb ions such as sodium, calcium and chloride from the water (see figure below). Prior research has shown that acidic environments cause adult and larva zebrafish to increase sodium uptake from their environment.

Depiction of water and salt homeostasis in salt and freshwater fish. Depiction of water and salt homeostasis in freshwater and marine fish.

Researchers Kumai et al (University of Ottowa, Ontario, Canada) have provided evidence to suggest that the intracellular signaling molecule cAMP can increase the uptake of sodium in zebrafish larvae following exposure to an acidic environment.

Source:

Kumai Y, Kwong RWM, Perry SF. The role of cAMP-mediated intracellular signaling in regulating Na uptake in zebrafish larvae. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 306: R51-R60, 2014.

 

Tags
Life Science
cAMP
electrolyte
fish
freshwater
ions
marine
sodium
water

More like this

How zebrafish sense calcium
Image of a zebrafish larva from (NHGRI Press Photos). Calcium is very important for the normal development, growth and survival of most vertebrates. Therefore, regulation of calcium intake and disposal is well-controlled. Mammals obtain most of their calcium from the diet, whereas fish obtain…
Carbon monoxide lowers breathing rate in fish too
Image of zebrafish By Pogrebnoj-Alexandroff from Wikimedia Commons We tend to think of carbon monoxide (CO) only in terms of being a poisonous gas. The reason for its toxicity is due to its ability to bind really tightly to our hemoglobin molecules, which prevents oxygen from being able to bind…
How the rectum helps prevent dehydration in saltwater
Image of a Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta, from Wikimedia Commons Teleost fish living in saltwater environments are constantly compensating for water loss. This happens because their surroundings have higher concentrations of salts than their plasma and the rule of thumb in Biology is: water…
The ultimate desalination plant: the eel esophagus
I love fish. The diversity of these aquatic creatures is so vast, I find them fascinating. Take the eel for example: Image of a Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) by opencage, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14520151 In a study published this month in the American…