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Uricotelic

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A uricotelic organism excretes uric acid or its salts as a result of deamination. Among the three major forms of excretion of nitrogenous waste in organisms (the others being ammonotelism and ureotelism), uric acid is the least toxic and the least soluble in water. It can be stored in cells and body tissues without toxic effects and requires only a tiny amount of water, about 0.001 L, per 1 g of nitrogen. A single molecule of uric acid can also remove four atoms of nitrogen, making it more efficient than ammonotelism and ureotelism.[1]

Uricotelic organisms typically have white pasty excreta. Uricotelic organisms include terrestrial arthropods (including insects), lizards, snakes, and birds.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b S. Sreekumar (2010). Basic Physiology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. p. 180–181. ISBN 9788120341074.
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