THE CONTROL OF WATER CONTENT
Osmoregulation
“Osmo” comes from word “Osmosis”
which involve in water potentials,
“Regulation” basically means maintaining
something. Hence, osmoregulation is a
mechanism of water potential controls
which occur in the body.
Water Potential are constantly monitored
by the sensory neurons that are specialized
to function, the osmoreceptors.
Osmoreceptor are placed in Hypothalamus
that only detect the decreasing of water
potential in the blood. Once the changes
occur, these nerve impulses are sent along
the neurones to where they terminate in the
posterior pituitary gland. These impulses
stimulate the special chemicals, ADH—
Anti Diuretic Hormone.
Picture 1.1 the mechanism of producing ADH in the posterior
pituitary gland.
ADH affect the Kidneys
The ADH hormone now on going to the
luminal membrane of the collecting duct
through the blood vessels. ADH bind to the
receptor in the cell surface membrane of the
cells in the collecting duct. The ADH
changes the cell more permeable to water
than usual which is result of aquaporins that
increase in number in the cell.
Within the help of the aquaporins, the water
molecules from the fluid in the collecting
duct move out of the tubule and got into the
tissue fluid or reabsorb to blood plasma in
the medulla of the kidney, since water
potential in the collecting duct are higher
than the medulla. These reabsorption of
water and osmosis help maintain the water
in the body to not losing water since the
water potential in the blood are decreasing.
Hence, the reabsorption of water are
increasing because of the decreasing of
water potential in the blood
Picture 1.2 : How ADH works in the luminal membrane of the Collecting Duct