Abstract
THE ability of some terrestrial invertebrates to discharge their nitrogen endproduct in the form of gaseous ammonia seems to violate “Needham's rule” which states that owing to the toxicity of ammonia the ammonotelism of aquatic animals has been replaced by ureocotelism and uricotelism in terrestrial groups. Both gastropods1 and isopods2 execrete some or most of their N-endproducts as gaseous ammonia. This method would seem to preserve ammonotelism, the “cheapest” way of excreting nitrogen, without its negative corollary, the loss of large amounts of body fluid.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Speeg, K. V., and Campbell, J. W., Amer. J. Physiol., 214, 1392 (1968).
Wieser, W., and Schweizer, G., J. Exp. Biol., 52, 267 (1970).
Hartenstein, R., Amer. Zoologist, 8, 507 (1968).
Meister, A., Biochemistry of the Amino Acids, vols. 1 and 2 (Academic Press, New York and London, 1965).
Sayre, F. W., and Roberts, E., J. Biol. Chem., 233, 1128 (1958).
Wieser, W., Schweizer, G., and Hartenstein, R., Oecologia, 3, 390 (1969).
Burton, R. F., Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 41 A, 555 (1972).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
WIESER, W. A Glutaminase in the Body Wall of Terrestrial Isopods. Nature 239, 288–290 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/239288a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/239288a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Discontinuous ammonia excretion and glutamine storage in littoral Oniscidea (Crustacea: Isopoda): testing tidal and circadian models
Journal of Comparative Physiology B (2013)
-
Diel variation in ammonia excretion, glutamine levels, and hydration status in two species of terrestrial isopods
Journal of Comparative Physiology B (2005)
-
Morphologie und Funktion des Wasserleitungssystems der terrestrischen Isopoden (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscoidea)
Zoomorphology (1981)