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The osmotic and ionic regulatory capacities of the kidney of the harbor seal,Phoca vitulina

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The maximum values obtained for urinary osmotic pressure, and sodium, chloride and potassium ion concentrations are 2050 mOsm/L, 523 mEq Na+/L, 508 mEq Cl-/L and 136 mEq K+/L, respectively. The concentrations of sodium and chloride ions in the urine are about equal to those of sea water and the results show that the harbor seal must draw on body water to eliminate all of the ions introduced by sea water ingestion.

  2. 2.

    Distilled water ingestion results in an increase in urine volume and a decrease in urine osmotic pressure, specific gravity and ion concentrations.

  3. 3.

    Following sea water ingestion, a large increase in urine volume occurs within 2 hours, urine osmolality remains constant or increases, and sodium and chloride ion concentrations increase to maximum values within 3 to 5 hours. Urine specific gravity decreases abruptly 1 to 2 hours after sea water ingestion, followed by a progressive increase for the duration of the tests.

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Author notes

  1. F. J. Tarasoff

    Present address: Biology Department, Truro Teachers College, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

    F. J. Tarasoff

  2. Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia

    Daniel P. Toews

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  1. F. J. Tarasoff
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  2. Daniel P. Toews
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Additional information

We wish to express our appreciation to Dr. H. D. Fisher and Miss E. McGowan (Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia) for their assistance, and to the Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia for providing equipment and facilities. We also thank Dr. S. H. Ridgway (Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge) and Professor T. Weis-Fogh (Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge) for their comments on earlier drafts of this report. Financial assistance was provided in part by grants-in-aid-of-research from the National Research Council of Canada (grant of Dr. H. D. Fisher).

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Tarasoff, F.J., Toews, D.P. The osmotic and ionic regulatory capacities of the kidney of the harbor seal,Phoca vitulina . J. Comp. Physiol. 81, 121–132 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00696628

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00696628

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