salt gland
Marine bird's desalinator
A salt gland is a specialized organ in certain marine animals that excretes excess salt from the body.
Seabirds, sea turtles, and marine iguanas have salt glands near their eyes or nostrils, allowing them to drink seawater and eat salty prey without dehydrating.
The glands concentrate and expel salt as a briny fluid.
Removal of metabolic waste
- secretionSubstance released by glands
- osmoregulationMaintaining internal solute balance
- homeostasisBiological internal stability maintenance
- electrolytesConducting ions in solution
sodium · chloride · ions · hypertonic · exocrine · tubular · lumen · countercurrent
Ocean-dwelling winged creature
- marine reptileSeagoing scaly vertebrate
- marine iguanaSea-foraging Galápagos reptile
- sea turtleOcean-dwelling shelled reptile
- albatrossLong-winged oceanic bird
petrel · pelican · sea snake · crocodilian · survival · specialization · evolution · natural selection
Massive saltwater body
- seawaterSalty ocean fluid
- marine environmentSaltwater ecosystem zones
- ornithologyScientific study of birds
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
ichthyology · shark · teleost · pelagic · coastal · brackish · mangrove · coral reef
excretion
Removal of metabolic waste
- secretionSubstance released by glands
- osmoregulationMaintaining internal solute balance
- homeostasisBiological internal stability maintenance
electrolytes · sodium · chloride · ions · hypertonic · exocrine · tubular · lumen · countercurrent · filtration
seabird
Ocean-dwelling winged creature
- marine reptileSeagoing scaly vertebrate
- marine iguanaSea-foraging Galápagos reptile
- sea turtleOcean-dwelling shelled reptile
albatross · petrel · pelican · sea snake · crocodilian · survival · specialization · evolution · natural selection · drought resistance
ocean
Massive saltwater body
- seawaterSalty ocean fluid
- marine environmentSaltwater ecosystem zones
- ornithologyScientific study of birds
herpetology · ichthyology · shark · teleost · pelagic · coastal · brackish · mangrove · coral reef · migration
- mangrovesmangrove forest, mangrove swamp, mangrove swamps, mangrove forests, red mangrove
- excretory systemkidney, kidneys, bladder, urinary bladder, urethra
- trichomestrichomes, root hairs, stinging hairs, pubescence, root hair