salt gland

The salt gland is an organ for excreting excess salt. It is found in elasmobranchs, marine birds, and some reptiles. In sharks, salt glands are found in the rectum, but in birds and reptiles, they are found in the skull, in the area of the eyes or nostrils. Such glands work by active transport via sodium-potassium pump that moves salt from the blood into the gland, where it can be excreted as a concentrated solution. Salt glands function to keep salt balance, and allow marine reptiles to drink seawater.^[1]

References

Donate to Wikimedia