Question

An aquatic animal with an internal solute concentration of 500 mOsm/L is placed in a fluid with solute concentration of about 700 mOsm/L. To osmoregulate and survive, the animal must

a. pump in salts to change its tissues to 700 mOsm/L
b. pump out salts to change its tissues to 900 mOsm/L
c. pump out salts to keep tissues at 500 mOsm/L
d. pump in salts to keep tissues at 600 mOsm/L

Answer 1

To survive in a fluid with a solute concentration of 700 mOsm/L, an animal with an internal concentration of 500 mOsm/L must osmoregulate by pumping out salts to maintain its tissues at 500 mOsm/L.

Step-by-step explanation:

An aquatic animal with an internal solute concentration of 500 mOsm/L placed in a fluid with a solute concentration of about 700 mOsm/L must osmoregulate to survive. To maintain osmotic balance in this hypertonic environment, where the external solute concentration is higher, the animal would need to pump out salts to keep its tissues at 500 mOsm/L. This action helps to prevent water loss to the environment and maintain the organism's internal osmotic conditions.