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Like other osmoregulatory animals that live in marine environments, sharks maintain tissue concentrations of sodium, potassium,...

Like other osmoregulatory animals that live in marine environments, sharks maintain tissue concentrations of sodium, potassium, and chloride that are hypoosmotic to the seawater. In contrast to the bony marine fishes, however, sharks do not need to drink seawater. Why?

High urea and trimethylamine oxide concentrations keep shark tissues slightly hyperosmotic relative to seawater, so water is absorbed passively.
Sharks excrete large quantities of salt through their gills in exchange for water
Sodium, chloride, and potassium do not influence water balance in shark tissues.
Shark blood is hypotonic to the surrounding tissues, so water always moves passively into the tissue from the blood.
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Answer #1

High urea and trimethylamine oxide concentrations keep shark tissues slightly hyperosmotic relative to seawater, so water is absorbed passively.

Sharks do not drink seawater because the high concentrations of urea and trimethylamine oxide keep the sharks at slightly hyperosmotic levels compared to sea water. Therefore water is passively absorbed into them.

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