Diving Physiology Flashcards

1
Q

What contributes to buoyancy in seabirds?

A

Body density and trapped air

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2
Q

How do diving birds overcome buoyancy

A

Birds fluctuate from positive to neutral to negative buoyancy

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3
Q

What are some challenges that diving birds face?

A
  • The viscosity and density of water compared to air
  • Fueling activity with oxygen while not breathing
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4
Q

How are penguins morphologically adapted for diving?

A
  • Streamlined body shape
  • Dense bones (not pneumatic)
  • Webbed feet
  • Specialized feathers
  • Stiff wings with fused bones
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5
Q

What happens to the diving duration of seabirds when body size increases?

A

The dive duration will increase (more oxygen capacity)

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6
Q

Apnea

A

Holding your breath

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7
Q

How do seabirds conserve oxygen during Apnea?

A
  1. Increase their oxygen storage capacity
  2. Bradycardia
  3. Peripheral ischemia
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8
Q

Bradycardia

A

Decrease in heart rate

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9
Q

What are the affects of bradycardia

A
  • Increased amount of oxygen storage capacity
  • Decreased amount of oxygen consumption
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10
Q

Peripheral ischemia

A

Reduced blood flow to the extremities

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11
Q

Why are bird lungs more efficient than mammalian lungs?

A

There is no mixing of oxygen rich air and oxygen poor air (gas exchange is more efficient)

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12
Q

What happens to the solubility of gasses as underwater pressures increase?

A

Solubility will increase

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13
Q

Describe “the bends”

A
  • As dive depths increase solubility of gases increase
  • On Acension gas solubility decreases as pressure decreases
  • Gasses dissolved in cells release in the form of bubbles
  • End result is “the bends”
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14
Q

What do marine mammals do to prevent “the bends”

A
  • As pressure increases, the lungs will collapse
  • Air moves into rigid structures
  • Gasses do not get dissolved in the blood
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15
Q

How do shallow diving seabirds deal with increased dive pressures?

A
  1. The do not dive deep
    - Shallow dives = not enough dissolved gasses to cause “the bends”
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16
Q

How do deep diving seabirds deal with increased dive pressures?

A
  1. Severe bradycardia: reduction of cardiac output and gas uptake
  2. Pressure induced reduction of gas
  3. Increased capillary volumes: capillaries engorge in order to prevent gas exchange
  4. Reduced respiratory air volume (take short breath of air before diving)
17
Q

Aerobic Dive Limit (ADL)

A

The maximum amount of breath that can be held without an increase in blood lactic acid concentration during or after a dive

18
Q

What affects ADL

A
  • Stored oxygen reserves
  • Oxygen consumption rates
  • Degree of peripheral ischemia
  • Rate of lactic acid production and consumption