Osmoregulation

in earthworms

Osmoregulation

the homeostatic mechanism where

organisms actively regulate the level
of water and mineral salts in their
bodies or organ systems

maintain osmotic pressures and keep

their fluids from being too
concentrated or dilute

Osmoregulators

maintain a more or less stable

internal osmolarity

Euryhaline - able to tolerate a

broad range of environmental
salinity

Freshwater and terrestrial

animals

Osmoconformers

organisms whose body fluids are

always isomolar to their
environment

gain and lose water at equal

rates - no tendency to gain or
lose water

Stenohaline - limited range of

environmental salinities it can
live in

marine animals

Osmoconformers

organisms whose body fluids are

always isomolar to their
environment

gain and lose water at equal

rates - no tendency to gain or
lose water

Stenohaline - limited range of

environmental salinities it can
live in

marine animals

Lumbricus
sp.
niche: soils with variable
quantities of water and solutes
exposed to atmospheres of varying
moisture content and soils with
different ionic concentrations
Leaching, Temperature,
Rainfall

Lumbricus
sp.
niche: soils with variable
quantities of water and solutes
exposed to atmospheres of varying
moisture content and soils with
different ionic concentrations
Leaching, Temperature,
Rainfall

Lumbricus sp.
Because of the wide range of
conditions they are subject to,
adaptive mechanisms are
important for their survival

Lumbricus sp.
Because of the wide range of
conditions they are subject to,
adaptive mechanisms are
important for their survival

Lumbricus sp.
Euryhaline osmoregulator that can
survive large fluctuations in
environmental osmolarity (2% NsCl)
Internal osmolarity: 0.65% NaCl

Lumbricus sp.
Euryhaline osmoregulator that can
survive large fluctuations in
environmental osmolarity (2% NsCl)
Internal osmolarity: 0.65% NaCl

Lumbricus sp.
Major osmoregulatory structures:
Metanephridia and Dorsal Pores
Water does not easily diffuse
through the skin since it has a
collagenous cuticle layer

Lumbricus sp.
Major osmoregulatory structures:
Metanephridia and Dorsal Pores
Water does not easily diffuse
through the skin since it has a
collagenous cuticle layer

Metanephridia

with tubules opening to the inside

and outside of the body segment

obtain fluid from inside of body via

nephrostomes

fluid is filtered, formed under

pressure and passed through small
openings

molecules larger than certain

size are excluded

fluid is isotonic to coelom,

NaCl removed by active
transport system

Metanephridia

with tubules opening to the inside

and outside of the body segment

obtain fluid from inside of body via

nephrostomes

fluid is filtered, formed under

pressure and passed through small
openings

molecules larger than certain

size are excluded

fluid is isotonic to coelom,

NaCl removed by active
transport system

Metanephridia

Metanephridia
walls of major blood
vessels have podocytes!
for major filtration in the
coelom

Metanephridia
walls of major blood
vessels have podocytes!
for major filtration in the
coelom

enter metanephridia via

nephrostome as
coelomic fluid (filtrate)

Metanephridia
walls of major blood
vessels have podocytes!
for major filtration in the
coelom

enter metanephridia via

nephrostome as
coelomic fluid (filtrate)

Metanephridia

Metanephridia

narrow ciliated tubule for

minor filtration process in
blood vessels

Metanephridia

narrow ciliated tubule for

minor filtration process in
blood vessels

Metanephridia
wide non-ciliated tubule
with narrow ciliated
tubules for selective
reabsorption of water,
proteins and salts

narrow ciliated tubule for

minor filtration process in
blood vessels

Metanephridia
wide non-ciliated tubule
with narrow ciliated
tubules for selective
reabsorption of water,
proteins and salts

narrow ciliated tubule for

minor filtration process in
blood vessels

Metanephridia

Metanephridia
transport out of tubule, into
surrounding body fluids
and prevent loss from
body and wastage

Metanephridia
transport out of tubule, into
surrounding body fluids
and prevent loss from
body and wastage

Metanephridia
transport out of tubule, into
surrounding body fluids
and prevent loss from
body and wastage

urine excretion - from

the bladder to
nephridiophore

Metanephridia
transport out of tubule, into
surrounding body fluids
and prevent loss from
body and wastage

urine excretion - from

the bladder to
nephridiophore

Methodology

A situation was given to analyze the presented data

Internal fluid of humidic

earthworms is equivalent
to about 0.65% NaCl

0%

0.6 %

Several groups of this

species were then
immersed for about 30
minutes with varying
salinities

0.9 %

1.5 %

The wet body weights of the worms were nearly similar at the start

0%

0.6 %

0.9 %

1.5 %

The wet body weights of the worms were nearly similar at the start

0%

0.6 %

0.9 %

1.5 %

The wet body weights of the worms were nearly similar at the start

0%

0.6 %

0.9 %

1.5 %

After half an hour, wet body weights were

measured again

Methodology

Osmoconformers

Organisms whose body fluids

are always isomolar to their
environment

Osmoregulators

Maintain a more or less stable

internal osmolarity

Euryhaline - able to tolerate a

broad range of environmental
salinity

Freshwater and terrestrial

animals

Gain and lose water at equal

ratesno tendency to gain or
lose water

Stenohaline - it lives within a

limited range of environmental
salinities

Marine animals

Results &

Discussion

The excretion of Lumbricus terrestris or earthworm

is driven by osmosis

0%

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight decreased

greatly after 30 minutes

0%

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight decreased

greatly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move out

of the earthworms body

0%

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight decreased

greatly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move out

of the earthworms body

The environment is
hyperosmotic in relation
to the earthworms internal
fluid (0.65% NaCl)

0%

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

0.6 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

0.6 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight decreased

slightly after 30 minutes

0.6 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight decreased

slightly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move out

of the earthworms body

0.6 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight decreased

slightly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move out

of the earthworms body

The environment is
hyperosmotic in relation
to the earthworms internal
fluid (0.65% NaCl)

0.6 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

0.9 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

0.9 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight increased

slightly after 30 minutes

0.9 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight increased

slightly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move

inside of the earthworms
body

0.9 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight increased

slightly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move

inside of the earthworms
body

The environment is
hypoosmotic in relation to
the earthworms internal
fluid (0.65% NaCl)

0.9 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

1.5 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

1.5 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight increased

greatly after 30 minutes

1.5 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight increased

greatly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move

inside of the earthworms
body

1.5 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Body weight increased

greatly after 30 minutes

Water tends to move

inside of the earthworms
body

The environment is
hypoosmotic in relation to
the earthworms internal
fluid (0.65% NaCl)

1.5 %

7"
6"
5"
4"
Body%weight%(g)%

0"minutes"

3"

30"minutes"

2"
1"
0"
I"

II"

III"

Salt%concentra4on%

IV""

Conclusion

Conclusion
Osmoregulation in earthworms was
found to be dependent on the internal
fluid osmolarity of the humidic
earthworms

Hypotonic Coelomic Fluid

A greater osmolarity of the
surrounding fluid than the coelomic
fluid would elicit water to move out of
the organism resulting to decrease in
the body fluid of earthworms

Hypertonic Coelomic Fluid

A lesser osmolarity of the
surrounding fluid would cause an
increase in body weight since water
will rush into the organism