Herring live in salt water. which do they have to do..expel large amounts of water to offset osmosis, need to take in large amounts of water of offset osmosis, slowly dehydrate over the course of their lives, or slowly swell upover the course of their lives?
Herring are marine fish that live in saltwater. To survive in a high-salinity environment, they have evolved various mechanisms to maintain water balance and prevent dehydration. The correct answer to your question is: herring need to expel large amounts of water to offset osmosis.
Osmosis is the process by which water moves across a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. In the case of herring living in saltwater, the surrounding environment has a higher salt concentration than their body fluids. This creates an osmotic pressure that causes water to move out of the fish's body.
To counteract this water loss, herring have specialized organs called gills. Gills are responsible for extracting dissolved oxygen from the water for respiration. As water passes over the gills, they actively pump out excess water through openings called "gill slits." By expelling water through these slits, herring can offset the osmotic pressure and maintain a balance between their body fluids and the surrounding saltwater.
In summary, herring expel large amounts of water to offset osmosis caused by the high-salt environment they live in. This adaptation allows them to survive and maintain the proper water balance in their bodies.