Sugar and water handling by honeyeaters and sunbirds

蜜虫是澳大利亚主要的脊椎动物传粉者，在维持健康的生态系统中起着至关重要的作用。由于它们的饮食，这些鸟面临着极端的生理挑战，它们摄入的花蜜是其体重的2-5倍，以获得每日所需的糖。因此，食蜜动物是处理和吸收糖和水的高手；这些有魅力的鸟类的比较生理学将提供对糖和水处理机制的深刻理解。了解肠道和肾脏的生理和形态有助于解决人类病理和临床状况所需的广泛知识基础，并将提高我们预测环境变化对这些鸟类的影响的能力。

Honeyeaters are the major vertebrate pollinators in Australia, playing a vital role in maintenance of healthy ecosystems. These birds are faced with extreme physiological challenges due to their diet, ingesting 2-5 times their body mass in nectar to obtain their daily sugar requirement. Nectarivores are, consequently, masters at processing and assimilating sugars and water; comparative physiology of these charismatic birds will provide deep understanding of sugar and water handling mechanisms. Understanding gut and renal physiology and morphology contributes to the broad base of knowledge required to address pathological and clinical conditions in man, and will enhance our ability to predict effects of environmental change on these birds.