鹽腺

关于植物的排鹽器官，请见「排水器」。
海龜通過鹽腺排出多餘的鹽分，看起來就像流淚一般

鹽腺是板鳃亚纲、海鳥和一些爬行動物用來排出鹽分的器官。其中鯊魚的鹽腺位于直腸，鳥類和爬行動物則位于頭部的眼睛、鼻子或嘴附近。其發達程度在不同物種身上不盡相同[1]。鹽腺的存在使得更有效的渗透调节成爲可能，因此這些動物才可以直接飲用海水[2]。鳥與龜身上存在鹽腺也從另外一個方面説明了它們的腎功能不如哺乳動物完善，畢竟在海生哺乳類動物身上並不存在鹽腺[3]。而它們皮膚滲透性不如兩棲動物這一點也使得其體内鹽分無法通過皮膚排出[4]。

参考文献

  1. ^ Ellis, Richard A.; GOERTEMILLER, CLARENCE C.; STETSON, DAVID L. Significance of extensive /'leaky/' cell junctions in the avian salt gland. Nature. 1982, 268 (5620): 555–556. Bibcode:1977Natur.268..555E. PMID 887174. doi:10.1038/268555a0. 
  2. ^ O’Driscoll, K.J.; Staniels, L.K.; Facey, D.E. Osmoregulation and Excretion. [2007-07-06]. （原始内容存档于2014-02-05）. 
  3. ^ Plants Poisonous to Livestock - Cornell University Department of Animal Science. Ansci.cornell.edu. [2011-07-14]. （原始内容存档于2014-06-17）. 
  4. ^ Hazard, Lisa C. Sodium and Potassium Secretion by Iguana Salt Glands. Iguanas: Biology and Conservation (University of California Press). 2004: 84–85. ISBN 978-0-520-23854-1. 

擴展閲讀

  • Evans, D. H. 1993. Osmotic and Ionic Regulation. p. 315-336. In Evans, D. H. 1993. The Physiology of Fishes. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
  • Goldenstein, D. L. 2002. Water and Salt Balance in Seabirds. p. 467-480. In Schreiber, E. A. and J. Burger. (eds.) 2002. Biology of Marine Birds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
  • Schmidt-Nielsen, K. 1959. Salt Glands. p. 221-226. In Wessells, N. K. (comp.) 1974. Vertebrate Structures and Functions. W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, CA.
  • Wǖrsig, B. G., T. A. Jefferson and D. J. Schmidly. 2000. The Marine Mammals of the Gulf of Mexico. Texas A&M Press, College Station, TX.