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Difficulty: HardEvolutionary Trends and Adaptive Features in Organisms

Match each animal organism with its corresponding evolutionary adaptation and structural complexity for excretion and osmoregulation.

  • Amoeba proteus (Unicellular Protist)Contractile vacuoles for osmoregulation accompanied by direct ammonia diffusion across the plasma membrane.
  • Planaria (Platyhelminthes)Network of protonephridia with flame cells featuring beating cilia that filter interstitial fluid.
  • Earthworm (Annelida)Segmentally arranged metanephridia opening into the coelomic cavity with surrounding capillary networks.
  • Locust (Arthropoda)Malpighian tubules suspended in hemolymph that precipitate uric acid into the digestive tract for water conservation.

Answer

Amoeba proteus matches with contractile vacuoles and plasma membrane diffusion; Planaria matches with protonephridia containing flame cells; Earthworm matches with segmentally arranged metanephridia in a coelomic cavity; Locust matches with Malpighian tubules excreting uric acid into the gut.
The correct matching aligns each organism's taxonomic complexity and habitat adaptation with its specialized excretory organ: Amoeba (unicellular) uses contractile vacuoles; Planaria (flatworm) uses protonephridia with flame cells; Earthworm (segmented worm) uses coelomic metanephridia; and Locust (insect) uses Malpighian tubules for uricotelic excretion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural complexity level of each organism
Identified Amoeba as acellular/unicellular, Planaria as acoelomate, Earthworm as coelomate/segmented, and Locust as terrestrial arthropod.
Excretory structures evolve in parallel with body plan organization and environmental requirements.
2
Associate primitive aquatic organisms with cellular-level osmotic regulators
Amoeba uses contractile vacuoles and membrane diffusion.
High surface-area-to-volume ratio allows direct diffusion of soluble ammonia in aquatic habitats.
3
Trace the transition from protonephridia to metanephridia in invertebrates
Planaria uses protonephridia (flame cells) for interstitial fluid filtering, whereas Earthworm uses metanephridia connected to coelomic fluid.
The advent of a true coelom enables tubular metanephridial reabsorption.
4
Identify adaptations for terrestrial water conservation
Locust utilizes Malpighian tubules to convert nitrogen waste into insoluble uric acid excreted with feces.
Uricotelism is a key adaptation preventing desiccation in dry land environments.

Key Concept

Evolutionary trend of excretory systems from simple cellular diffusion to complex tubular structures tailored for osmoregulation and nitrogenous waste conservation.
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Evolutionary Trends and Adaptive Features in Organisms

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