Excretory Water Loss

Excretory Water Loss

To the tune of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics

[Chorus]
Excretory water loss
Is managed by a balance
Of water and ion maintenance
And excretion of nitrogenous waste

[Pre-Chorus]
Most of the sauropsids
Are known as uricotelic
They produce uric acid
Requiring less water to be excreted

[Chorus]
Ovoviviparous
Amniote embryos produce uric acid
Which is stored in the allantois
Shells are only permeable to gases

[Pre-Chorus]
As adults amniotes
Can remain uricotelic
Or they can switch to a different
Strategy for excretion

[Chorus]
Excretory water loss
Is managed by a balance
Of water and ion maintenance
And excretion of nitrogenous waste
Most of the synapsids
Are known as ureotelic
They reabsorb water from urine
Raising urine osmolarity
Mammals produce urine
That is hyperosmotic
To the extracellular fluid
With nephrons that loop