Uricotelism, Biology

Assignment Help:

Uricotelism

In animals which inhabit extremely arid environments, ammonia is converted into  uric acid. Uric acid is least toxic, relatively insoluble and is easily precipitated. Hence, it can be excreted in solid form without loss of substantial amount of water. Pulmonate snails, terrestrial insects, squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) and birds excrete a major portion of their waste nitrogen in the form of semi-solid or solid uric acid and hence are referred to as uricotelic animals.

1807_Uricotelism.png

Figure: Uric Acid

The synthesis of uric acid from ammonia in these animals occurs by the inosinic acid pathway. This pathway was first elucidated by Buchanan and his co- workers in the 1950s in pigeon liver. Uric acid is a member of the purines. While the details of the pathway are beyond the scope of this unit, in Figure the different fragments from which the uric acid molecule is assembled is shown. The dashed lines which divide the uric acid molecule in the Figure indicate the building blocks from which its biosynthesis takes place.


Related Discussions:- Uricotelism

What are some industrial processes that use bacteria, What are some industr...

What are some industrial processes that use bacteria? Bacteria are used by industry in many ways. There are vaccines made of attenuated pathogenic bacteria or of antigens prese

In what order should personal protection be removed, Q. In what order shoul...

Q. In what order should Personal Protection be removed? Personal protection is removed in following order: Gloves Mask Glasses Wash hands

Into which two groups can the nitrogen-containing bases, Into which two gro...

Into which two groups can the nitrogen-containing bases that form DNA and RNA be classified? What is the criterion used in that classification? The nitrogen-containing bases th

Define the working of ph meter, Define the working of pH Meter? The pH ...

Define the working of pH Meter? The pH of a solution, we know, measures the degree of acidity or alkalinity relative to the ionization of water sample. A pH meter is a sophisti

Biota of oceans - ecosystem, Biota of Oceans - Ecosystem Life in the s...

Biota of Oceans - Ecosystem Life in the sea is not particularly abundant, though the diversity of organisms is very high. Almost every major group of animals and every major g

Bacterial growth, 1. Given a log phase bacterial culture with 1 x 106 cells...

1. Given a log phase bacterial culture with 1 x 106 cells per ml and a generation time of 20 minutes, how long does it take the culture to reach a density of 6.4 ? 107 cells per ml

Spermatogonia, Spermatogonia Spermatogonia are the youngest germ cells...

Spermatogonia Spermatogonia are the youngest germ cells from which spermatozoa proliferate. These lie next to the basement membrane and undergo series of mitotic divisions lea

Nervous tissue, This constitutes about 2.4% of the body weight of man viz. ...

This constitutes about 2.4% of the body weight of man viz. Brain-1400 gram Spinal nerve-150 gram Spinal cord-30 gram Cranial nerve-10 gram C.S.F. is altogether not present in

Auxins, Auxins Auxins are plant growth substances. The term Auxin us...

Auxins Auxins are plant growth substances. The term Auxin usually refers to a chemical compound called Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), which is the major natural auxin. In plan

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd