Osmoregulation

Osmoregulation is the control of the water content of body fluids. It is part of

homeostasis, the maintenance of a constant internal environment.

It is important that cells are surrounded by tissue fluid of a similar water potential to
their own contents, to avoid too much water loss or gain which could disrupt
metabolism. You have seen that water is lost from the fluid inside a nephron as it flows
through the collecting duct. The permeability of the walls of the distal convoluted tubule
and collecting duct can be varied.

 If they are permeable, then much water can move out of the tubule and the urine
becomes concentrated. The water is taken back into the blood and retained in
the body.

 If they are made impermeable, little water can move out of the tubule and the
urine remains dilute. A lot of water is removed from the body.

ADH

ADH is antidiuretic hormone. It is secreted from the anterior pituitary gland into the
blood.
When the water potential of the blood is too low (that is, it has too little water in it), this is
sensed by osmoreceptor cells in the hypothalamus. The osmoreceptor cells are
neurones (nerve cells). They produce ADH, which moves along their axons and into the
anterior pituitary gland from where it is secreted into the blood.

The ADH travels in solution in the blood plasma. When it reaches the walls of the
collecting duct, it makes them permeable to water. Water is therefore reabsorbed from
the fluid in the collecting duct and small volumes of concentrated urine are produced.

When the water potential of the blood is too high (that is, it has too much water in it),
this is sensed by the osmoreceptor cells and less ADH is secreted. The collecting duct
walls therefore become less permeable to water and less is reabsorbed into the blood.
Large volumes of dilute urine are produced.
Negative feedback

The mechanism for controlling the water content of the body, using ADH, is an example
of negative feedback.

​The Role of the Hypothalamus in Osmoregulation

 The hypothalamus contains osmoreceptors which signal to specialised sensory

neurones. A fall in water potential causes the release of antidiuretic hormone
(ADH) from the pituitary gland.