OSMOREGULATION AT THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION OF NAPLES AT THE END OF THE 19TH-CENTURY

The Zoological Station of Naples was founded in 1872 by Anton Dohrn as a research institute for zoology and comparative anatomy. Although th e original fields of interest were the morphology of vertebrates and c omparative embryology, a department of physiology was added to the sta tion in 1888. Osmoregulation in marine organisms has been extensively studied, notably by Bottazzi, who investigated chemical composition, e lectrical conductivity, surface tension, osmotic pressure and extracel lular viscosity in circulating fluids in man and lower animals. Bottaz zi classified aquatic animals into 2 groups, a distinction that is acc epted today. More recent workers at the station include Bern, who made important contributions to the study of the essential role played by prolactin in regulation of hydromineral metabolism in euryhaline teleo st fish in a freshwater environment.