In saltwater, the water that surrounds a fish has a higher concentration of dissolved salts than is found in the fish's body cells. Which two methods allow the fish to maintain water balance?A.Releasing large amounts of water in urineB.Pumping out salt through the gillsC.Drinking large amounts of waterD.Absorbing water into the body by osmosisSUBMITarrow_backPREVIOUS

The two methods that allow the fish to maintain water balance in saltwater are:

B. Pumping out salt through the gills: This is a process known as active transport, where the fish uses energy to pump out excess salt from its body through the gills. This helps to maintain the salt concentration in their body cells lower than the surrounding saltwater.

C. Drinking large amounts of water: Since the concentration of salt is higher in the surrounding water than in the fish's body, water tends to move out of the fish's body by osmosis. To compensate for this water loss, the fish drinks large amounts of water. The ingested seawater gets desalinated in the gut, with the excess salts being excreted through the gills and the urine.