Fish living in freshwater
A - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 19 - 2003 - Paper 1
Question 19
Fish living in freshwater
A. actively transport water into their body cells from their surroundings.
B. produce urine with a high solute concentration.
C. produce... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Fish living in freshwater
A - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 19 - 2003 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. actively transport water into their body cells from their surroundings.
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Answer
Freshwater fish are hyperosmotic to their environment, which means they have a higher concentration of solutes in their body compared to the surrounding water. To maintain osmotic balance, they actively transport water into their cells to counteract excessive dilution from ingested water.
Step 2
B. produce urine with a high solute concentration.
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Answer
Since freshwater fish are more concentrated in solutes than their environment, they do not need to produce urine with a high solute concentration. In fact, their urine is typically dilute, helping them eliminate excess water.
Step 3
C. produce urine that contains ammonia.
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Answer
Freshwater fish often excrete ammonia directly into the water because it is highly toxic in larger concentrations. Ammonia is easily diluted in the surrounding freshwater, making it a suitable method of waste removal.
Step 4
D. produce small volumes of urine.
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Answer
Freshwater fish produce relatively large volumes of dilute urine. This is in contrast to marine fish which need to conserve water and therefore produce smaller volumes of concentrated urine.
