why do slugs die from contact wtih salt?

Answer 1

It sucks all of the water out of their body.

Answer 2

It sucks the moisture from their bodies. Their bodies have very porous membrane that can not hold moisture on its own. A slug can only survive a short time under dry conditions or in the sun and when contact with salt occurs the salt attracts water and dehydrates the slug. They don't actually melt, they deflate.

Answer 3

You are right in that this is a sort of a chemical reaction, but not
really, in that no actual physical change is occurring to the chemicals.
The reason that they foam is a process called osmosis. Osmosis is a
fundamental process that is involved in many branches of biology as well
as chemistry. The term osmosis describes a type of diffusion (diffusion is
when a chemical moves from an area of high concentration to a low
concentration, such as adding dye to water, it spreads out) involving the
net movement of solvent (the liquid part) molecules, as opposed to solute
(the things dissolved in the liquid) molecules, across a semi-permeable
(that lets something's but not others through) membrane from an area of
high water/low solute concentration to an area of low water/high solute
concentration (hypotonic). In this case the semi-permeable part lets water
across the membrane but not the dissolved chemicals. All organisms are in
state of osmotic balanced; you are at the moment. The reason you get
thirsty is that you lack water and your cells are depleted of it and
shrivel up. So how come you don't foam if you put salt on your skin. Well
you skin is unlike a slug. One of the critical steps in evolution was the
development of our skin, which is flexible, hard wearing and prevents
water from escaping. But slugs didn't evolve this far. Their skin does not
prevent water from passing across it; it acts as a semi-permeable
membrane. So if you add salt to a slug you change the osmotic balance
across the membrane. Now the slug has lots of salt (solute) on the outside
in the water. So effectively that water is less concentrated (it has other
things in it) relative to the water inside the cell. So the water inside
the cell rushes out across the membrane to make things equal. This makes
it look like the slug is foaming.

Answer 4

Seawater is bad for humans to drink for the same reasons direct application of salt to slugs is bad for their health.

When the concentration of solute on one side of a water-permeable membrane is higher than on the other side, water will flow across the membrane to dilute the more concentrated side. This is osmotic pressure.

I am outside my expertise on the following statement, but I would guess it is because their skin doesn't have a protective coating to prevent water from escaping into the salt. When a person drinks seawater, they are bypassing the skin as a barrier to water loss to the salty solution.

Answer 5

it is about homeostasis.

it is like to a freshwater fish put into a saltwater environment.

what happens is that, when a slug come in contact with salt, the slug having a lower concentration of salt in its body, tend to absorb the salt ions outside, premixed with moisture disrupting the cellular processes of the slug

Answer 6

the same reason you would if you drank ocean water. Salt pulls water to it. It is a key part of making mommies. Slugs have thin skin. The salt dries them out the same way ocean water would dry you out.

Answer 7

the slugs dry out. as you probably know, slugs are very moist, and if they lose that moisture
they die. salt is known to remove moisture from cells. sometimes it looks like the slug is melting.

Answer 8

Because of the cholic acid in the salt soaks all the water in their bodys and burns their insides to death. Try putting salt on a big open wound.

Answer 9

Don't really know, but it sure is fun to watch!


The salt draws the water from their bodies and probably burns them too. Try putting salt in a cut sometime.

Answer 10

They die of dehydration when the salt draws the liquid out of their body.

Answer 11

yes...

Slugs must remain MOIST. Salt dilutes the moisture... so BYE BYE SLUGS.