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Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry ISSN 2089-6514 (paper)
Volume 8, Number 2, 2019 | Pages: 37-40 | DOI: 10.14421/biomedich.2019.82.37-40 ISSN 2540-9328 (online)
Anatomical and Histological Study of
Shark (Carcharhinus sorrah) Kidney
Hikmah Supriyati1,*, Rakhmiyati2, Muhammad Ja’far Luthfi3
1Postgraduate Biology Education Program, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia.
2Postgraduate Biosciences Program, Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia.
3Biology Education Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Indonesia.
Author correspondency*:
hikmahsupriyati@gmail.com
Abstract
Sharks are sea water fishes belong to the class Chondrichthyes, Subclass Elasmobranchii. Sharks are cartilaginous fish that have a
different osmoregulation process than any other sea water fish. Cartilaginous fish is the only vertebrate that can maintain urea. This study
aims to determine the anatomical and histological structure of the kidney in the anterior, medial and posterior parts of kidney. The study
was conducted by observing anatomy of the kidney. Histological preparations were made using the paraffin method. Qualitative
descriptive data analysis was done. Research results show that shark kidneys consist of three parts, namely the head kidney, the body
kidney, and the tail kidney. Kidney sharks are brownish red with a size of 18 cm long. Histological observations of shark kidney in the
head kidney reveals many glomerulus, body kidney reveals many distal and tubule proximal contractile tubules whereas tail kidney
reveals stroma that is rarely found in vertebrate kidney.
Keywords: Sharks; Kidney; Anatomy; Histology
INTRODUCTION
Pisces are belonging to poikilothermic vertebrate (cold
blooded) that live in water and breathe with gills. Every
aquatic animal has osmotic pressure that is different
from its environment, therefore aquatic animals must
prevent excess water or lack of water so that the
physiological processes in the body take place normally.
Pisces is one of the taxa that has the largest member.
They inhabit sea water, fresh water, mud and semi
aquatic habitats. Therefore, the fish's kidney has a
different structure and its histology is reflected by its
habitat. The osmoregulation mechanism in pisces also
varies depending on the environment or habitat (Fujaya,
2004).
Osmoregulation is a process of homeostasis to keep
body fluids in a stable state. Excretion plays an
important role in the removal of metabolic waste
substances, especially those containing nitrogen so that
these substances do not accumulate in the body. These
metabolic waste substances may be able to disrupt
homeostasis of the internal environment, especially
those related to osmotic pressure and the stability ratio
of ions in body fluids (Suripto, 1998).
The main excretory organ in vertebrates is kidney.
Kidneys in vertebrates generally a pair.
Embryologically, kidney originate from mesoderm.
Kidneys in Pisces are different of those in frogs, lizards,
birds, especially when compared to mammalian kidneys.
There are three types of kidneys namely pronephros,
mesonephros and metanephros. Fish kidney is the most
primitive kidney among other vertebrate kidneys
(Soesilo et al, 1994).
Each type of environment provides a variety of
supporting factors typical for animals that live in it. The
abilities and types of body organs possessed by each
animal are different. Therefore, the osmoregulation
mechanism by animals is also different and shows a very
wide variation depending on the ability, osmoregulation
organs that are owned, and the environmental conditions
of each (Isnaeni, 2006).
Like aquatic animals, freshwater and sea water fishes
have differences in osmoregulation and excretion.
Freshwater fish have osmotic levels of body fluids that
are hyperosmotic compared to their environment. Thus
the fish will excrete a lot of water and hold ions (Lagler
et al., 1997), whereas sea water fish have osmotic levels
of body fluids that are hypo-osmotic in their
environment. Therefore, fish must drink a lot of water
(1/5 to 1/2 of their body weight) and remove a lot of salt
from their bodies (Suripto, 1998).
Sharks are water fishes and are included in the class
Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish), Subclass
Elasmobranchii. Seawater fish in general will drink a lot
of water because it is to maintain bodyi fluids that are
hypoosmatic on the environment. In contrast to
Elasmobranchii which has a problem that is too little
water intake. To overcome this animal produces a little
urine. Even if only a little excreted, the urine can also be
used to remove excess NaCl (Ville, 1988).
38 Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry 8 (2), 2019: 37-40
These differences allow the organs involved in the
osmoregulation process in sharks to have differences
with kidney organs in other marine fish. Besides this
research is also to find out the type of shark kidney.
References about the anatomy and histology of sharks
are still very rare, so researchers are interested in doing
the research. Previous research has been carried out
under the title anatomical and histological comparisons
of the catfish uropoetic organs (Pangasius
hypophtalmus) and sharks (Carcharhinus sorrah). This
study discusses one field of view on shark kidney organs
and catfish. The histological structure of the shark and
catfish consists of glomerulus, distal tubules, proximal
tubules and hematopoietic tissue. This research
emphasizes the difference in shark glomerular diameter
length which is smaller than that of catfish.
This researchs focus on the anatomy and histological
structure of the kidney in the anterior, transition and
posterior parts. This research discussed each histology
structure of shark kidney, starting from many
glomerulus and tubules in each part of kidney. In
addition, this study discussed the histological structure
that is likely to be rarely found in other vertebrates.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Material
Test animals used in this study were five sharks obtained
from Depok beach, Yogyakarta. The materials used in
this study are HVS paper, bouin solution, graded alcohol
(30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% and
absolute), hematoxylin-eosin dyes, albumin, xylol,
distilled water, entelan, toluene, absolute alcohol,
paraffin, glassware, mask, gloves, needles and tweezers.
Tool
The tools used in this study were a set of surgical
instruments, flakon bottles, paraffin tanks, paraffin
ovens, beaker glasses, slide warmers, microtomes,
staining jars, microscopes and computers.
Procedure
1. Shark Dissection
This research was conducted in April 2019 in the
Zoology Laboratory of the Faculty of Science and
Technology of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The
sharks that has been sacrificed were then observed
morphologically. Morphological observations included
the gills, pectoral fins, dorsal fins, caudal fins,
abdominal fins. Then the standard length, total length
and fish height were measured.
2. Anatomical observation
Anatomical observation started with dissection
performed from the posterior ventral to the anterior
ventral. After the internal organs were observed, kidneys
were taken and cut on three different parts, namely
anterior (head), medial (body), and posterior (tail).
3. Histological preparations
This research was conducted from April to June 2019 in
the Zoology Laboratory of the Faculty of Science and
Technology of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The
preparation of histology started with process of fixation
which is the process of immersion of organs using a
bouin fixative solution. Then the dehydration process
was carried out with multilevel alcohol, clearing,
infiltration, embedding, sectioning, staining with
hematoxylin-eosin, and mounting process. Then
observations using a binocular microscope (Suntoro,
1983).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Shark Morphology
Figure 1. General shape and external parts of the shark's body: (1)
Nostrils, (2) Eyes, (3) First dorsal fin, (4) Second dorsal fin, (5) Tail, (6)
Fins rectum, (7) pectoral fins, (8) Gills, (9) Body height, (10) Standard
length, (11) Total length (Manik, 2004).
Based on observations that had been done, sharks
have an elongated body shape. Total length 74 cm,
standard length 53 cm and body height 21 cm. The head
is symmetrical and slightly small, has a long, rounded
snout. Sharks have double dorsal fins. The anterior
dorsal fin is larger than the posterior dorsal fin. The
caudal fin is pointed, the dorsal caudal fin is longer than
the ventral (Phillips, 1991). The type of shark's tail is
heterocercal (Kardong, 2009). There are cloaca holes
between the pelvis fins. In male sharks, caudal fins will
turn into claspers (Organs to hug female sharks when
mating) (Brotowijoyo, 1994). The dominant body color
is black-brown, especially the dorsal, abdomen and
caudal fins are rather brightly colored. Rows of teeth in
the upper jaw are more triangular shaped. The gills open
out with 5 gill slits located on the side of the head (Jones
& Larson; 1974).
Anatomy of Shark Kidney
Figure 2. Anatomy of a shark kidney: (a) the anterior part (head kidney),
(b) the transition part (body kidney), (c) the posterior part (tail kidney).
Supriyati et al. – Anatomical and Histological Study of Shark … 39
Anatomy observations show that shark kidney
consists of a pair of kidneys that are located along body
cavities, ventral to vertebrae. Shark's kidney has an
elongated shape and is brown in color. The shark's
length is 18 cm. Shark's kidney consists of three parts,
namely the anterior part (head kidney), the medial part
(body kidney), the posterior part (tail kidney). Adult fish
kidney is mesonephros kidney which consists of 70-80
tubules that form the mesonephric duct (Vize, 2012).
Sharks are cartilaginous fish which differ in the
osmoregulation process compared to other sea water
fish. Cartilaginous fish is the only vertebrate that can
maintain urea. Excess urea will be excreted by the
kidneys and gills. Cartilage is able to restore blood urea
from the filtrate. As a result, blood contains urea that is
sufficient to be hyperosmotic to seawater (Hildebrand,
1995). The existence of this process makes blood
concentration closer to seawater concentration. So that
sharks do not need to drink excess sea water. Whereas to
overcome dehydration sharks also absorb water through
the gills and can produce runny urine (Castro & Huber,
2005).
In most animals, urea is poisonous and excreted, but
sharks excrete only small amounts. Urea and related
compounds are not so toxic to cartilaginous fish. The
concentration of urea in shark's body fluids can reach
100 times the level of mammalian urea (Villee, 1999).
Excess salt is excreted by the kidneys, intestines, and
special glands near the anus called the rectal glands.
This gland can help regulate how to deal with excess
ions, especially urea. Excess urea in the shark's body
will be removed through the gills and rectal glands
(Castro & Huber, 2005).
Histology of Shark Kidney
Figure 3. Histology of anterior shark kidney: (1) Medulla, (2) Bowman
capsules, (3) Glomerulus, (4) Cortex, (5) Radius medullaris, (6) Lymphoid
tissue, (7) Distal tubule, (8) Proximal tubule
Based on histological observations that have been
made that there is a cortex in the kidneys of sharks. The
cortex is in a capsule and is dark color (Yatim, 1996).
Kidney capsules in the form of irregular solid
connective tissue. The cortex contains the proximal
tubule, distal tubule, glomeruli and medullary radius.
The medullaris radius is formed by straight nephrons,
blood vessels, and collagen tubules that fuse in the
medulla (Eroschenko, 2010).
Medulla is the innermost part of the kidney, under
the cortex, light colored. Medulla contains bundles of
vessels and urinary collection vessels, which number in
millions according to many malphigian bodies. A
Malphigian body along with its veins is an autonomous
unit of disposal equipment, called a nephron. It is
estimated that each hemisphere of the left-right kidney
contains two million nephrons. The direction to the
medulla renal sinus forms many bulges, called the
malphigi’s pyramid. The top of each pyramid is called a
papilla. Apart from the medulla and cortex on the
anterior part of the shark kidney there are also many
glomerulus. Glomerulus is an anastomotic clot of
capillaries. The part that covers the glomerulus is the
bowman capsule. The bowman capsule is a ball shape
basin that is not full (Yatim, 1996). In addition to the
anterior part of the kidney there is also a lymphoid tissue
(hematopoietic). This network is composed of reticular
fibers (Subowo, 1992).
Figure 4. Histology of the transitional shark kidney (body kidney: (1)
distal contour tubules, (2) proximal tubule tubules.
Based on observations that have been made that in
the transition (body) histology of shark kidney there are
many proximal tubule and distal contour tubules. The
proximal tubule is longer than the distal tubule. The
proximal tubule has one layer of cuboid cells with a
granular and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Whereas the distal
tubule is shorter and the number is less in the cortex.
The distal tubule has a larger lumen within cells
(Eroschenko, 2010). The number of proximal tubules
and distal tubules in the transitional part of the kidney
(body kidney) allows the process of reabsorption to
occur. The absorbed substances are glucose, protein,
40 Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry 8 (2), 2019: 37-40
amino acids and carbohydrates. Related to its function
the presence of distal tubules also results in ion
transport. This is related to the maintenance of acid-base
in the blood (Ramaley & Bevelender, 1979).
Figure 5. Histology of the posterior shark kidney: (1) Stroma, (2) Blood
vessels.
Based on histological observation at the posterior
kidney there is a stroma. Renal stroma is rarely found in
vertebrate, stroma consists of loose connective tissue
that accompanies blood vessels, lymph vessels and
nerves. In the stroma there are cells that occupy the gaps
between the 3 dimensional webbing which are
composed of reticular fibers, reticular cells and
macrophage cells (Subowo, 1992).
Basically, the vertebrate kidney has the same
structure, namely the glomerulus and tubules. But in
each class there are different arrangements. The anterior
part of shark kidneys has a lot of glomerulus which in
this part allows the filtration process to occur. While in
the transition (body kidney) there are many proximal
tubules and distal tubules. The results of this research
are consistent with the theory by Villee (1999) that in
the kidney of the fish the anterior tubules have
disappeared, several tubules in the middle region are
related to the testes, and there is a concentration and
multiplying of the posterior tube. In addition there are
also archinephric ducts that function as excretion and
sperm ducts in males. While the tail of the kidney
(posterior kidney) there is a stroma. Stroma is usually
found in mammals and is rarely found in vertebrate
kidneys (Subowo, 1992).
CONCLUSION
Based on research that has been done, it can be
concluded that, shark kidneys consist of three parts,
namely the head kidney (anterior), body kidney
(transition), and tail kidney (posterior). Kidney shark
brownish red with a size of 18 cm. While histological
observations of the anterior kidney there are many
glomerulus, transition kidney there are many distal
tubule, proximal tubule and in the tail kidney there is a
stroma, where the stroma is very rarely found in
vertebrate kidney.
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