| Blue Planet 20:32 - Nov 19 with 1979 views | Samuelowen88 |
Do whales get the bends ?
I know fish don’t as they don’t have air in their bodies, but whales breathe air, yet dive very deep. |  |
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| Blue Planet on 21:43 - Nov 19 with 1936 views | gerard1947 |
It appears they can. They were thought to be resistant to the bends although recent thinking is they do get it. Signs of oxygen in the blood has been found in dead whales, including some that have died in mass beachings. |  | | |
| Blue Planet on 21:47 - Nov 19 with 1932 views | knowledgeboy |
No.
Divers get the bends because they breathe air under pressure and excess nitrogen absorbed by the body is released as bubbles in the the blood stream if the diver ascends too quickly.
Whales breathe air at the surface and therefore the air is not under pressure. (well technically it is at 1 Atmosphere (Atm)) |  | | |
| Blue Planet on 21:48 - Nov 19 with 1929 views | Samuelowen88 |
| Blue Planet on 21:47 - Nov 19 by knowledgeboy |
No.
Divers get the bends because they breathe air under pressure and excess nitrogen absorbed by the body is released as bubbles in the the blood stream if the diver ascends too quickly.
Whales breathe air at the surface and therefore the air is not under pressure. (well technically it is at 1 Atmosphere (Atm)) |
I follow that, but then how does the air not get squeezed out? All the pressure at 100’s meters depth ? | |
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| Blue Planet on 22:12 - Nov 19 with 1900 views | knowledgeboy |
| Blue Planet on 21:48 - Nov 19 by Samuelowen88 |
I follow that, but then how does the air not get squeezed out? All the pressure at 100’s meters depth ? |
The air molecules are compressed by the pressure, and lungs are very elastic.
I'm not sure where you expect the air to get squeezed out to. | | | |
| Blue Planet on 22:32 - Nov 19 with 1874 views | Samuelowen88 |
| Blue Planet on 22:12 - Nov 19 by knowledgeboy |
The air molecules are compressed by the pressure, and lungs are very elastic.
I'm not sure where you expect the air to get squeezed out to. |
Lungs squeezes by pressure, air forced out via mouth | |
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| Blue Planet on 22:54 - Nov 19 with 1854 views | knowledgeboy |
| Blue Planet on 22:32 - Nov 19 by Samuelowen88 |
Lungs squeezes by pressure, air forced out via mouth |
Ok. I'm not that familiar with the physiology of a whale.
I do know that the bends are related to gas expansion and not contraction. | | | |
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