Ammonotelic

An ammonotelic (sometimes spelled ammoniotelic)[1] organism excretes soluble ammonia as a result of deamination. Ammonia is highly toxic to tissues and extremely soluble in water. A proportion of 0.5 L of water is required per 1 g of nitrogen to maintain ammonia levels in the excretory fluid below the level in body fluids, otherwise toxicity may result. Ammonotelic animals include protozoans, crustaceans, platyhelminths, cnidarians, poriferans, echinoderms, and other aquatic invertebrates, among others.[2]

Ammonotelism is one of the three major forms of excretion of nitrogenous waste in organisms, the others being ureotelism and uricotelism.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chris M. Wood; R.S. Munger; D.P. Toews (1989). "Ammonia, urea, and H+ distribution and the evolution of ureotelism in amphibians" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Biology. 144: 215–233.
  2. 1 2 S. Sreekumar (2010). Basic Physiology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. p. 180–181. ISBN 9788120341074.
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