The process of maintaining the salt and water balance across the membranes of the cell is called osmoregulation. The changes in the osmotic pressure are sensed by osmoreceptors which are present in the hypothalamus in the case of humans and other warm-blooded animals. The osmoreceptors are also present in the kidneys. There are two types of osmoregulation in animals. The osmoconformers are organisms that try to match the osmotic pressure of the internal environment with the external environment. They try to maintain the same osmotic pressure inside and outside the body. For example starfish, jellyfish and lobsters are osmoconformers. The osmoregulators regulate the osmotic pressure independent of the external environment. Humans and most of the freshwater fishes are osmoregulatory. In the case of humans, the kidneys play an important role in maintaining the salt and water balance in the body. If the body is dehydrated the kidneys reabsorb the extra water from the urine and prevent the loss of water through urine while if the body has an excess of water then it is excreted in urine thereby maintaining the balance.
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