Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions
Arterial blood nitrogen tensions of free-diving Weddell seals ( Leptonychotes weddelli ) were measured by attaching a microprocessor-controlled blood pump and drawing samples at depth to determine how these marine mammals dive to great depths and ascend rapidly without developing decompression sickn...
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
1985
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.4023700 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.4023700 |
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craaas:10.1126/science.4023700 2024-10-13T14:03:06+00:00 Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions Falke, Konrad J. Hill, Roger D. Qvist, Jesper Schneider, Robert C. Guppy, Michael Liggins, Graham C. Hochachka, Peter W. Elliott, Richard E. Zapol, Warren M. 1985 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.4023700 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.4023700 en eng American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science volume 229, issue 4713, page 556-558 ISSN 0036-8075 1095-9203 journal-article 1985 craaas https://doi.org/10.1126/science.4023700 2024-09-27T04:00:27Z Arterial blood nitrogen tensions of free-diving Weddell seals ( Leptonychotes weddelli ) were measured by attaching a microprocessor-controlled blood pump and drawing samples at depth to determine how these marine mammals dive to great depths and ascend rapidly without developing decompression sickness. Forty-seven samples of arterial blood were obtained from four Weddell seals during free dives lasting up to 23 minutes to depths of 230 meters beneath the sea ice of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Peak arterial blood nitrogen tensions of between 2000 and 2500 millimeters of mercury were recorded at depths of 40 to 80 meters during descent, indicating that the seal's lung collapses by 25 to 50 meters. Then arterial blood nitrogen tensions slowly decreased to about 1500 millimeters of mercury at the surface. In a single dive, alveolar collapse and redistribution of blood nitrogen allow the seal to avoid nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Leptonychotes weddelli McMurdo Sound Sea ice Weddell Seals AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) McMurdo Sound Weddell Science 229 4713 556 558 |
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Open Polar |
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AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) |
op_collection_id |
craaas |
language |
English |
description |
Arterial blood nitrogen tensions of free-diving Weddell seals ( Leptonychotes weddelli ) were measured by attaching a microprocessor-controlled blood pump and drawing samples at depth to determine how these marine mammals dive to great depths and ascend rapidly without developing decompression sickness. Forty-seven samples of arterial blood were obtained from four Weddell seals during free dives lasting up to 23 minutes to depths of 230 meters beneath the sea ice of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Peak arterial blood nitrogen tensions of between 2000 and 2500 millimeters of mercury were recorded at depths of 40 to 80 meters during descent, indicating that the seal's lung collapses by 25 to 50 meters. Then arterial blood nitrogen tensions slowly decreased to about 1500 millimeters of mercury at the surface. In a single dive, alveolar collapse and redistribution of blood nitrogen allow the seal to avoid nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Falke, Konrad J. Hill, Roger D. Qvist, Jesper Schneider, Robert C. Guppy, Michael Liggins, Graham C. Hochachka, Peter W. Elliott, Richard E. Zapol, Warren M. |
spellingShingle |
Falke, Konrad J. Hill, Roger D. Qvist, Jesper Schneider, Robert C. Guppy, Michael Liggins, Graham C. Hochachka, Peter W. Elliott, Richard E. Zapol, Warren M. Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions |
author_facet |
Falke, Konrad J. Hill, Roger D. Qvist, Jesper Schneider, Robert C. Guppy, Michael Liggins, Graham C. Hochachka, Peter W. Elliott, Richard E. Zapol, Warren M. |
author_sort |
Falke, Konrad J. |
title |
Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions |
title_short |
Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions |
title_full |
Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions |
title_fullStr |
Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seal Lungs Collapse During Free Diving: Evidence from Arterial Nitrogen Tensions |
title_sort |
seal lungs collapse during free diving: evidence from arterial nitrogen tensions |
publisher |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
publishDate |
1985 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.4023700 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.4023700 |
geographic |
McMurdo Sound Weddell |
geographic_facet |
McMurdo Sound Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Leptonychotes weddelli McMurdo Sound Sea ice Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Leptonychotes weddelli McMurdo Sound Sea ice Weddell Seals |
op_source |
Science volume 229, issue 4713, page 556-558 ISSN 0036-8075 1095-9203 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.4023700 |
container_title |
Science |
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229 |
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4713 |
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556 |
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558 |
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1812819524723933184 |