Terrestrial crustaceans commonly possess which excretory organ?

Terrestrial crustaceans commonly possess which excretory organ?

• A. Green glands
• B. Malpighian tubules
• C. Nephridia
• D. Kidneys

Answer: (B)

Terrestrial life requires excretory systems that conserve water. Malpighian tubules are long, blind tubes that connect to the digestive tract and filter wastes from the hemolymph, delivering them into the gut to be excreted with feces. This arrangement allows nitrogenous wastes to be expelled in a relatively dry form (often as uric acid or a similar substance), which is highly advantageous when water is scarce. In terrestrial crustaceans, this tubule-based excretory mechanism is the typical adaptation for conserving water while still getting rid of wastes, a role also seen in insects with their analogous Malpighian tubules. Green glands are common in many crustaceans but are more characteristic of aquatic or moist conditions, while nephridia are typical of annelids, and kidneys are a vertebrate feature, not crustacean.

Terrestrial life requires excretory systems that conserve water. Malpighian tubules are long, blind tubes that connect to the digestive tract and filter wastes from the hemolymph, delivering them into the gut to be excreted with feces. This arrangement allows nitrogenous wastes to be expelled in a relatively dry form (often as uric acid or a similar substance), which is highly advantageous when water is scarce. In terrestrial crustaceans, this tubule-based excretory mechanism is the typical adaptation for conserving water while still getting rid of wastes, a role also seen in insects with their analogous Malpighian tubules. Green glands are common in many crustaceans but are more characteristic of aquatic or moist conditions, while nephridia are typical of annelids, and kidneys are a vertebrate feature, not crustacean.