A nephridiopore is part of the
nephridium, an
excretory organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
found in many
organism
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells ( cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fu ...
s, such as
flatworm
The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmen ...
s and
annelid
The annelids (Annelida , from Latin ', "little ring"), also known as the segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecol ...
s.
Polychaetes
Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine annelid worms, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made ...
typically release their gametes into the water column using nephridiopores.
Nephridia are homologous to
nephron
The nephron is the minute or microscopic structural and functional unit of the kidney. It is composed of a renal corpuscle and a renal tubule. The renal corpuscle consists of a tuft of capillaries called a glomerulus and a cup-shaped structure ...
s or uriniferous tubules found in the kidney of humans. Nephridiopores are present in ventral region. The nephridium consists of an opening called the
nephrostome
The nephrostome is the funnel-like component of a metanephridium. It is always oriented towards the coelom. The nephrostome is covered from the inside with cilia, which push the water, metabolic wastes, unnecessary hormones
A hormone (from th ...
, a long
convoluted tubule, and another opening called the nephridiopore. Body fluids are
filtered in through the nephrostome and passed through the convoluted tubule system.
Essential substances are
reabsorbed through active mechanisms and waste products are
secreted back into the lumen of the tube.
The resulting excretory fluid or
urine
Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excreted from the body through the urethra.
Cellul ...
is passed out through the nephridiopore.
References
Platyhelminth anatomy
Annelid anatomy
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