The fu nction of contractile vacuole, in protozoa, is (a) osmoregulation (b) reproduction (c) locomotion (d) digestion of food
Option A The function of contractile vacuole is osmoregulatory. Water in freshwater protozoa enters the organism by endosmosis and during feeding. If the organism does not possess a mechanism to get rid of this excess water, it will swell to the point of rupture and dissolution. The mechanism which is assumed to effect water regulation is the contractile vacuole. The vacuole periodically increases in volume (diastole) to get filled with water and contracts (systole) to discharge its water content to the surrounding environment
