Question

What is the function of the contractile vacuole?

Answer 1

The contractile vacuole pumps water out of the cell (through osmoregulation, the regulation of osmotic pressure).

Answer 2

Contractile vacuoles protect a cell from absorbing too much water and potentially exploding by excreting excess water. Wastes, such as ammonia, are soluble in water; they are excreted from the cell along with excess water by the contractile vacuoles.