Abstract
The so-called isosmotic intracellular regulation includes an adjustment of the number of moles of the intracellular solutes concomitantly to the volume regulation of the cells. For this reason, the apparent linear correlations between the specific weight, and both the water content (g water/g wet tissue) of a tissue of an isosmotic animal and the salinity of the sea water will be observed. Also, when the water content of a tissue is expressed as g water/cm 3 tissue, and is thus independent of the tissue specific weight, an apparent linear correlation between water content and the salinity of the sea water is observed. These differences in the water content between cells adjusted to different osmolalities are due to a replacement of solutes by water, or vice versa, during the cell's volume regulation. This exchange process establishes thereby a mechanism which might enable the animal to maintain the volume of an osmotically adjusted tissue constant and independent of the salinity of the sea water. In the present paper, a physico-chemical treatment of the processes underlying the observed correlations is given. Simple equations describing the correlation between the water content of a tissue (in g water/cm 3 tissue) and the osmolality are presented. It is shown that the coefficient of this correlation is mainly dependent on the mean apparent molar volume of the solutes used by the tissue in the isosmotic intracellular regulation. Isosmotic common mussels ( Mytilus edulis) were adapted to a wide range of sea water salinities, and the specific weight and the water content of the muscle tissue of these animals were measured and related to the sea water salinity. By comparison of such experimental data with those obtained by calculations according to the equations presented and the assumed composition of the intracellular fluid, it is possible to evaluate the completeness of the volume regulation. The reliability of the evaluation of the completeness of this act according to the present method is discussed and also compared to the reliability of the method usually employed. It is concluded that, in general, the present method yields the better information.
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