Terminology Service for NFDI4Health

salt gland

Go to external page http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0004758


An organ for excreting excess salts. It is found in elasmobranchs, seabirds, and some reptiles.[WP]. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_gland ]

Term info

Label

salt gland

database cross reference
Subsets

organ_slim, functional_classification

id

UBERON:0004758

taxon notes

In sharks, salt glands are found in the rectum, but in birds and reptiles, they are found in or on the skull, in the area of the eyes, nostrils or mouth. In crocodiles, the salt is excreted through the tongue. Such glands work by active transport via sodium-potassium pump that moves salt from the blood into the gland, where it can be excreted as a concentrated solution. Salt glands function to keep salt balance, and allow marine vertebrates to drink seawater

Term relations

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