Osmoregulation in Birds

ISBN-13: 9783642815874 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 205 str.

E. Skadhauge

Opis

The approach of this treatise is physiological throughout. In the eyes of the author it answers the rhetorical question raised by Maurice B. Visscher at the Physiology Congress in Washington D. C. in 1968: Does physiology exist? What he meant by this question was whether the fields of cellular physiology and physiology of the various organ systems had become so large that physiology as such had vanished. The firm answer is that physiology does indeed exist. Although it is important to study physiological problems at the subcellular level, it is importan- and equally difficult - to study organ regulation at the cellular level, organ interaction, and integration into the whole organism. An account of avian osmoregulation from an integrated point of view is attempted in this book. Since reading Homer W. Smith's From Fish to Philosopher and August Krogh's Osmoregulation in Aquatic Animals verte brate osmoregulation has been in the center of the author's interest. The focus was set on avian osmoregulation after personal contact with the School of Krogh when working in the laboratory of Bodil M. Schmidt-Nielsen. The fundamental concepts and isotope techniques introduced by Hans H. Ussing have been of constant inspiration. An excellent example for the study of osmoregulation at the cellular level was given by the late Jean Maetz. The writing of this book was suggested by Donald S. Farner who is thanked for thorough editorial assistance, and especially with help in the subtle semantic peculiarities of the English language."

Spis treści

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Problems of Osmoregulation.- 1.2 Review of Reviews.- 1.3 Anatomy of Body Fluids.- 2 Intake of Water and Sodium Chloride.- 2.1 Thirst and Appetite for Salt.- 2.2 Problems of Interpretation of Preference and Discrimination Tests.- 2.3 Drinking of Fresh Water.- 2.3.1 Total Water Deprivation.- 2.3.2 Water Turnover in Carnivorous Birds.- 2.4 Salinity Tolerance.- 2.4.1 Intake of Saline Solutions by Birds with Salt Glands.- 2.5 Salt Requirements of Domestic Birds.- 3 Uptake Through the Gut.- 3.1 Absorption of Salt and Water in the Small Intestine.- 3.2 Osmotic and Solute Composition of Contents of the Small Intestine.- 3.3 Caecum: Role in Osmoregulation.- 3.3.1 Presence of Caeca.- 3.3.2 Flow of Material into the Caeca.- 3.3.3 Mechanical Regulation of Inflow in the Caeca.- 3.3.4 Quantitative Studies of Caecal Function.- 3.3.5 Faecal Water Content After Caecectomy.- 3.3.6 Role of Caecum in Avian Nutrition.- 4 Evaporation.- 4.1 Evaporation from Resting Birds Under Thermoneutrality.- 4.1.1 Relationship Between Body Weight and Oxygen Uptake.- 4.1.2 Relationship Between Body Weight and Evaporation.- 4.1.3 Other Questions in Relation to Evaporation.- 4.2 Reaction to Heat Loads.- 4.3 Reaction to Dehydration.- 5 Function of the Kidney.- 5.1 Excretion of Water and Salts.- 5.1.1 Renal Anatomy.- 5.1.2 Circulation of the Kidney.- 5.1.3 Renal Plasma Flow.- 5.1.4 Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR).- 5.1.5 Renal Excretion of Sodium and Water.- 5.1.6 Determinations of Single-Nephron Glomerular Filtration Rates (SNGFR).- 5.1.7 Renal Concentrating Ability.- 5.1.8 Renal Excretion of Chloride and Potassium Ions.- 5.1.9 Concentration of Several Ions in Ureteral Urine.- 5.1.10 The Basis of Hypertonicity in the Medullary Cones.- 5.1.11 Correlation of Structure and Function.- 5.2 Action of Antidiuretic Hormones.- 5.2.1 Investigations of Mammalian Hormones.- 5.2.2 Amount of Arginine Vasotocin in the Neurohypophysis.- 5.2.3 Diabetes Insipidus.- 5.2.4 Renal Effects of Arginine Vasotocin.- 5.2.5 Metabolism of AVT, Plasma Concentrations, and Effects on Plasma Parameters.- 5.3 Renal Nitrogen Excretion.- 5.3.1 Excretion of Uric Acid and Urates.- 5.3.2 Quantitative Role of Cation Trapping in Precipitates of Uric Acid.- 5.3.3 Excretion of Urea.- 6 Function of the Cloaca.- 6.1 General Aspects of Cloacal Function.- 6.1.1 Anatomy of the Cloaca.- 6.1.2 Storage of Urine in Coprodeum and Large Intestine.- 6.1.3 “Anatomy” of the Droppings.- 6.1.4 Water Content of Faeces.- 6.2 Studies of Cloacal Absorption of Ureteral Urine.- 6.2.1 Separation of Ureteral Urine and Cloacal Faeces.- 6.2.2 Indirect Estimate of Cloacal Absorption of Ureteral Urine by Comparison of Normal Rate of Formation of Droppings and Flow Rate of Ureteral Urine.- 6.2.3 Simultaneous Collection of Ureteral Urine and Faeces.- 6.3 In-vivo Instillation and Perfusion Studies.- 6.3.1 Early Observations.- 6.3.2 Basic Measurements of Transport Parameters of NaCI and Water of Coprodeum and Colon.- 6.3.3 Changes of Parameters of Cloacal Transport Induced by Hydration and Dehydration and by Salt Loading and Depletion.- 6.3.4 Absorption/Secretion of K, NH4, and PO4.- 6.4 In-vitro Studies of Transport Parameters of Coprodeum and Colon of the Domestic Fowl.- 6.4.1 In-vitro Studies in the Galah.- 6.4.2 In-vitro Studies in Ducks.- 6.4.3 Comparison of In-vivo and In-vitro Experiments.- 6.5 Effects of Aldosterone on Cloacal Transport.- 7 Function of the Salt Gland.- 7.1 Development of the Gland.- 7.2 Stimulus for Secretion.- 7.3 The Flow Rate and Ionic Composition of the Salt-Gland Fluid.- 7.4 Mechanism of Secretion.- 7.5 Adaptation and Hormones.- 7.6 Quantitative Role of Salt Gland in Excretion of an Acute Salt Load and Relation to Kidney/Cloaca in Salt/Water Balance.- 8 Interaction Among the Excretory Organs.- 8.1 Birds Without Salt Glands.- 8.1.1 Water and Salt Loading.- 8.1.2 Dehydration.- 8.1.3 Fractional Absorption/Secretion of K, NH4 and PO4.- 8.2 Birds with Salt Glands.- 9 A Brief Survey of Hormones and Osmoregulation.- 9.1 Corticosterone and Aldosterone.- 9.2 Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal Hormones.- 9.3 The Pituitary-Adrenal Axis; Renal and Extrarenal Secretions.- 9.4 A Note on the Renin-Angiotensin System of Birds.- 10 Problems of Life in the Desert, of Migration, and of Egg-Laying.- 10.1 Desert Birds.- 10.1.1 The Zebra Finch.- 10.1.2 The Budgerigar.- 10.1.3 Larks from the Namib Desert and Gambel’s Quail.- 10.1.4 The Ostrich.- 10.2 Problems of Osmoregulation During Migratory Flights.- 10.2.1 Water Balance During Migratory Flights.- 10.2.2 Calculations and Measurements of Energy Expenditure and Evaporative Water Loss During Migratory Flights.- 10.3 Osmotic Problems of Nestling Birds.- 10.3.1 Water Transport by Sand Grouse Feathers.- 10.4 Water and Salt Metabolism in Relation to Egg-Laying.- 10.4.1 Water Intake.- References.- Systematic and Species Index.