BIO 122.1 LE 3

The process by which animals maintain water and ion balance in cellular fluids, critical for cell survival and solute transport.

Osmoregulation

An environment where the concentration of solutes is higher outside the cell; freshwater fish are hypertonic to their environment.

Hypertonic environment

An environment where the concentration of solutes is lower outside the cell; marine fish are hypotonic to their environment.

Hypotonic environment

The structure used by earthworms for osmoregulation and waste excretion.

Nephridia

A hormone that helps regulate water retention and ion exchange in the body.

Aldosterone

A protein on the surface of red blood cells that determines if blood is Rh-positive or Rh-negative.

Rh factor

The clumping of red blood cells when antibodies in the plasma interact with corresponding antigens.

Agglutination

A condition where an Rh-negative mother produces antibodies against her Rh-positive baby’s red blood cells.

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN)

The narrowing of blood vessels, which increases blood pressure.

Vasoconstriction

The widening of blood vessels, which decreases blood pressure.

Vasodilation

Physical forces responsible for the determination of fluid movement between tissues and capillaries.

Starling Forces

The process of blood clotting, involving the clumping of platelets to prevent blood loss.

Coagulation

A signaling molecule that causes vasodilation and is produced in endothelial cells.

Nitric Oxide (NO)

A secondary messenger within cells that helps relax smooth muscle and causes vasodilation.

Cyclic GMP (cGMP)

The most abundant type of white blood cells, responsible for fighting infections by killing bacteria and foreign debris.

Neutrophils

A series of events involving the activation of clotting factors that lead to blood coagulation.

Clotting Cascade

A neurotransmitter that can cause bronchoconstriction and affects vasodilation in blood vessels.

Acetylcholine

The process in which platelets adhere to a site of injury and release chemicals to recruit more platelets.

Platelet Activation

High levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the blood, often triggering an increase in breathing.

Hypercapnia

Sensory receptors that respond to changes in CO₂ and O₂ levels in the blood.

Chemoreceptors

Differentiated monocytes that clean up damaged cells and debris through phagocytosis.

Macrophages

The process of producing red blood cells (RBCs) in the bone marrow.

Erythropoiesis

Organisms that maintain an internal environment that is isotonic with their external environment; typically found in marine environments.

Osmoconformers

The process by which blood is filtered in the kidneys, allowing waste products and excess substances to be removed.

Filtration

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism despite changes in external conditions.

Homeostasis

Increased or excessive production of urine, often in response to excess fluid intake or diuretic medications.

Diuresis

A hormone that regulates water balance by promoting water reabsorption in the kidneys.

Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)

Membrane proteins that facilitate the rapid transport of water across cell membranes.

Aquaporins

A hormone system that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance.

Renin-Angiotensin System

A network responsible for the drainage of fluids and immune responses, it also plays a role in fluid balance.

Lymphatic System

The fluid that surrounds the cells in tissues, providing them with nutrients and a medium for waste removal.

Interstitial Fluid

A waste product formed in the liver from the breakdown of proteins, excreted in urine.

Urea