The Rectal Gland in Relation to the Osmoregulatory Mechanisms of Marine and Freshwater Elasmobranchs

The rectal gland of elasmobranchs secretes large quantities of electrolytes and is of primary importance in the osmoregulatory mechanisms of these animals (Burger and Hess, 1960; Burger, 1962). Analogously, various organs of other vertebrates are also known to be involved in salt secretion (Schmidt-Nielsen, 1965; Bonting, 1970; Bentley, 1971). In general, active ion transport is the basis of this phenomenon; in any case, it requires the presence of structural devices, morphologically and chemically well defined, and of metabolic capabilities which, taken singly, are not specific, but collectively are consistent with active ion transport and salt secretion

Studio istochimico comparato della ghiandoia digitiforme rettale di selaci marini e di acqua dolce

La ghiandola reHale dei Selaci secerne notevoli quantita eli elettroliti: I\u27inelagine istomorfologica e istochimica puo consentire eli documentare I\u27(\u27sistenza eli elispositivi strutturali e di potenzialita metaboliche collegabili con I\u27accumulo e la liberazione eli energia utilizzabile per un trasporto ionico attivo, fenomeno che appare alIa base deIl\u27attivita della ghiandola