Whales Adaptation Lab Report

Whales are aquatic (lives in the ocean) mammals that require certain adaptations in order to survive. They have a blow whole on top of their heads and a pair of lungs for breathing fresh air. In order to take a fresh breath whales need to emerge out of the water exposing the blow whole on top of their heads completely. As they emerge to the surface, they force out the carbon dioxide in a strong exhalation, before filling their lungs with fresh water and diving beneath the surface of the water again. With this type of respiration comes a problem, where large lungs full of air would hinder the whale stability to dive very deep depths. Therefore, the size of a whales lungs are actually smaller in proportion to its body, and the amount the amount of air that they contain is less than expected. The nitrogen contained in the
When this happens, gas exchange occurs and the last remaining bit of air is pushed into the bronchioles. The bronchioles are cartilaginous, which prevents a gas exchange with the body. In order to preserve the level of oxygen in their system after their lungs have collapsed, rather than just in their lungs, whales are able to store about half of their oxygen in their muscles. This is due to the high level of haemoglobin (whales blood is 60% haemoglobin) and myoglobin in whales. These proteins have the function of carrying oxygen in the blood and muscles. Also whales are able to control where the blood goes in the different parts of their body. So, when diving to deep depths, they allow only vital organs to receive oxygen rich blood, and the areas that are not as important to the whale’s survival are do not receive any oxygen rich blood as they are cut off from the blood supply for a short time. The circulation to these areas is restored when the wale submerges to the surface of the water. Also whales have a reflex called Bradycardia which causes their pulse to slow down dramatically as they dive. A slower pulse means that less oxygen is