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Nitrogenous Waste Forms and Tradeoffs

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State

Animals excrete nitrogenous waste as ammonia, cheap to produce but toxic and needing dilution; urea, less toxic and soluble; or uric acid, non-toxic and insoluble but costly to make.

Show

Aquatic animals often excrete ammonia directly; birds and reptiles excrete uric acid to conserve water.

Watch for

No waste form is universally best — each trades production cost against water conservation, matching habitat.