How Much Water Do Humans Need?
The threat of water loss from the body is especially significant for animals living in very dry environments. Most of these animals have evolved special strategies to conserve water. Kangaroo rats living in deserts, for example, hardly ever drink water. They obtain almost all the water they need through the chemical breakdown of the grains they eat. To reduce water loss from their bodies, kangaroo rats are not active during the hottest parts of the day. They also produce very dry feces and release extremely concentrated urine. Use resources in the library or on the Internet to investigate some of the unique characteristics of desert dwellers.
Aquatic organisms (plants and animals that live in water) have a very different problem: too much water. See what you can learn about strategies used by aquatic organisms to survive while submerged.
- Photo of camel courtesy of Henryhbk, released into the public domain.
- Photo of thorny devil © Wally Box, CC-BY-NC 3.0.
- Photo of fish courtesy of Jan Rehschuh, released into the public domain.
- Photo of New Zealand Fur Seal pup courtesy Avenue CC-BY-SA 3.0.
- Moreno N., and B. Tharp. (2011). The Science of Water Teacher’s Guide. Third edition. Baylor College of Medicine. ISBN: 978-1-888997-61-3.
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Funded by the following grant(s)
The Environment as a Context for Opportunities in Schools
Grant Numbers: 5R25ES010698, R25ES06932
Foundations for the Future: Capitalizing on Technology to Promote Equity, Access and Quality in Elementary Science Education