Abstract
The crustacean gill is a multi-functional organ, and it is the site of a number of physiological processes, including ion transport, which is the basis for hemolymph osmoregulation; acid-base balance; and ammonia excretion. The gill is also the site by which many toxic metals are taken up by aquatic crustaceans, and thus it plays an important role in the toxicology of these species. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the ecology, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of the mechanisms of osmotic and ionic regulation performed by the gill. The current concepts of the mechanisms of ion transport, the structural, biochemical, and molecular bases of systemic physiology, and the history of their development are discussed. The relationship between branchial ion transport and hemolymph acid-base regulation is also treated. In addition, the mechanisms of ammonia transport and excretion across the gill are discussed. And finally, the toxicology of heavy metal accumulation via the gill is reviewed in detail.
Highlights
AND BACKGROUND The study of osmoregulation in crustaceans goes back over 100 years, during which both major technological and conceptual advances have been made and fundamental core concepts have been reaffirmed
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the ecology, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of the mechanisms of osmotic and ionic regulation performed by the gill
Eyestalk ablation (ESA), which removes the major endocrine complex of crustaceans alters carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity. For both C. sapidus and C. maenas acclimated to high salinity (35 and 32 ppt, respectively), in which they are osmoconformers and CA activity is at low, baseline levels, ESA results in a 1.5–3.5-fold increase in CA activity over 24 h to 7 days (Henry and Borst, 2006; Henry and Campoverde, 2006)
Summary
AND BACKGROUND The study of osmoregulation in crustaceans goes back over 100 years, during which both major technological and conceptual advances have been made and fundamental core concepts have been reaffirmed. The estuarine environment, which is harsh to begin with because of variations in naturally occurring physical parameters, is made more difficult because it is typical the site of accumulation of anthropogenically produced toxic materials, such as heavy metals This purpose of this review is to treat the topic of multiple gill functions comprehensively, from the ecological perspective to the level of genome. Especially drowned river beds that occur primarily in coastal plains, can be divided into discrete zones, based on annual variations in salinity (Figure 1) Superimposed upon this gradient is a pattern of fluctuating salinity, resulting from tidal movements of sea water, seasonal changes in rainfall and fresh water runoff, and catastrophic dilutions from events such as tropical storms and hurricanes. The distribution of organisms within the estuary appears to coincide www.frontiersin.org
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