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The Gut as an Osmoregulatory Organ: Comparative Aspects and Special References to Fishes

  • Conference paper
Transport Processes, Iono- and Osmoregulation

Part of the book series: Proceedings in Life Sciences ((LIFE SCIENCES))

Abstract

When considering the gut as an osmoregulatory organ, it must be kept in mind that the basic function of the gut is to split foodstuffs into simple compounds, small enough to cross cell membranes. The splitting of foodstuffs results in a considerable increase in the number of independent substrate particles in the digestive fluid: more than 100 amino acid molecules for one protein molecule and up to 500,000 monosaccharide molecules for one starch molecule. Splitting occurs in closed systems which appear in animal evolution in the following successive stages: the intracellular food vacuoles in Protozoa, the digestive sac (the enteron) in primitive invertebrates and finally the alimentary canal made up of successive parts allowing for simultaneous feeding and digestion. Moreover, many metabolites need sodium ions to be absorbed by cotransport into the digestive cells. The gut must ensure ion requirements for coupled ion-substrate absorption and also prevent deleterious variations in osmotic pressure. This is made possible either by a strong correlation between hydrolysis and metabolite absorption as is the case in filter feeders with continuous food supply or by osmoregulation by the gut epithelium in the general case of sequential feeding.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Zoologie et d’Embryologie expérimentale, J.E. CNRS 033669, Université Louis Pasteur, 12 rue de l’Université, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    V. Simonneaux

Authors
  1. R. Kirsch
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  2. W. Humbert
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  3. V. Simonneaux
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Animal Physiology, University of Liège, 22, Quai Van Beneden, B-4020, Liège, Belgium

    Raymond Gilles

  2. Laboratory of General and Comparative Biochemistry, University of Liège, 17, Place Delcour, B-4020, Liége, Belgium

    Michelle Gilles-Baillien

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© 1985 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kirsch, R., Humbert, W., Simonneaux, V. (1985). The Gut as an Osmoregulatory Organ: Comparative Aspects and Special References to Fishes. In: Gilles, R., Gilles-Baillien, M. (eds) Transport Processes, Iono- and Osmoregulation. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70613-4_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70613-4_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-70615-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-70613-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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