The Mammalian Dive Response

The mammalian diving reflex represents a primary physiological mechanism to maximize underwater excursions in air-breathing animals. Traditionally, the oxygen-conserving reflex consists of three metabolic and cardiovascular adjustments: (1) notable bradycardia; (2) selective peripheral vasoconstriction; and (3) increased blood flow to the viscera (Kawakami et al., 1967). Previous studies have observed such a response in birds and mammals, generalizing the considerable reduction of heart rate, or ‘diving bradycardia,’ as indicative of the response (Butler, 1982). The evolutionary success of these diving animals relies partly on the functional significance of reducing metabolic demands to prologue underwater survival. Although

The dive response is known more popularly as a mammalian dive reflex. It is a survival mechanism built into mammal’s bodies, essentially. Over the years, scientists have been determined to find what triggers mammals to have a decreased heart rate when submerged under water allowing them to stay under the water longer when they do not typically live under water.

Any activities that could results in bodily collisions, such as contact sports, should be avoided due to the risk of trauma to the aorta as well as other arteries, and any activities that can change the ambient air pressure like scuba diving due to the risk of a pneumothorax (Keane, Reed, & Pyeritz, 2008). Aerobic exercise with the heart rate not exceeded 100 beats per minute in adults, can help promote cardiovascular and physiological health (Keane, Reed, & Pyeritz, 2008). Prior to her surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, R.C. was participating in water aerobics three times per week to maintain some cardiovascular

Instead, a measurement called the encephalization quotient (EQ) is used to compare the relative size of an animal's brain. Although humans have the highest EQ with values up to 7.0, bottlenose dolphins, with an approximate EQ of 4.0, have a higher EQ than chimpanzees, who possess an EQ of 2.4 (Reiss et al., 1997). This suggests that dolphins require brain processing capability more comparable to humans than other animals. Much of the dolphin brain (15%) is comprised of the cerebellum, which coordinates muscular activity, while the cerebral cortex, which is associated with intelligence, is only 80% the size of that of humans (Reynolds et al., 2000). However, dolphin cerebral hemispheres show a higher degree of folding than humans, increasing the surface area and the number of nerve cells in the brain (Reynolds et al., 2000). The acoustic cranial nerve in dolphins contains the largest nerve fibers of all vertebrates, which allows for acoustic information to travel to the brain up to five times faster than in other mammals (Reynolds et al., 2000). Studies of the laterality of the dolphin brain, especially their unihemispheric sleep patterns, strongly suggest hemispheric asymmetry and independence (Reiss et al., 1997). Brain laterality may correspond to complex cognitive functions, such as language processing and brain economization. However, it is also important to look at behavioral

It functions as an oxygen-storage unit, providing oxygen to the working muscles. Diving mammals such as seals and whales are able to remain submerged for long periods due to the fact that they have greater amounts of myoglobin in their muscles than other animals do.

The diving reflex is a method found in animals and all mammals to manage oxygen levels allowing them to spend time underwater longer. Conservation of oxygen is important

The Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), located in San Diego, California, has been going on for many years, beginning in the late 1950s, when the Navy began to study the unique attributes of marine mammals, such as their hydrodynamics. By understanding how certain animals maneuver in the water, perhaps the Navy could improve torpedo, ship and submarine designs (Marine Mammal Program). The Navy soon realized that dolphins would be valuable assistants to their divers working in the abyss of the open ocean. Unlike human divers, marine mammals are capable of making repetitive deep dives without experiencing “the bends,” or decompression sickness, a condition that arises from dissolved gases forming into bubbles within the body as a result from diving

The author starts the passage by introducing the old belief which is “skillful deep diving animals are always marine mammals,” and states that that’s not an accurate statement using the evidence from his research. In the second paragraph, he talks about how active the leatherback turtles are. Then connect the fact that leatherback turtles rarely stop swimming to the methods of studying them at sea used by researchers. From paragraph 4 to paragraph 5, the author suggests the reason for incessant diving of the leatherback turtle. Lastly, the author proved his hypothesis on reason for continuous diving of leatherback turtles, providing additional circumstantial evidence.

This paper begins with my own existing knowledge of swimming, followed by questions that I wanted to find out in my research that were answered in my paper. It then gets into my research and what I found out while conducting my senior paper. After that is

Individuals can train themselves to hold their breath longer while diving, depending on the population people who are professionals or trained divers will show a slightly different response to those individual who are not trained. Furthermore, another limitation could be how the participate choose to hold their breath in air, by either using a clip, figures or free style, while a Valsalva manoeuvre was meant to be avoided. These three different style while show

Many surfers and swimmers being pursued by sharks have been rescued by a pod of dolphins. Using echolocation, dolphins can make out human skeletons, lungs, and heartbeats. They are especially fascinated by pregnant women because they are able to detect the baby’s heartbeat as well. Dolphins have been credited with warding off sharks and saving drowning people. They are also known to have killed sharks in the attempt to save someone. Even if provoked, dolphins never act aggressively towards people, but are ready to defend them in times of

terrestrial mammals, bends and the mechanisms used by diving marine mammals to avoid them and how these animals work to deal with the issues of depth and deep

its funny you know the one person that was your savior from drowning was also controlling the waves that were pulling you under its funny you know the one person that was your savior from drowning was also controlling the waves that were pulling you under its funny you know the one person that was your savior from drowning was also controlling the waves that were pulling you under its funny you know the one person that was your savior from drowning was also controlling the waves that were pulling you under its funny you know the one person that was your savior from drowning was also controlling the waves that were pulling you under its funny you know the one person that was your savior from drowning was also controlling the waves that were

In our experiment, subject submerged her face in ice cold water, causing heart rate to dramatically decrease by -58 bpm. This physiological response is referred as the diving reflex. Homeostasis is maintained by the nervous system to regulate breathing, heart rate, and arterial blood pressure. When subject submerged her face in ice cold water, this homeostasis was dramatically altered. The diving reflex is based on respiration and subject became apneic underwater. The purpose of the diving reflex is to conserve intrinsic oxygen stores when oxygen supply is removed. To survive underwater, intrinsic oxygen stores bound to hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in muscles are utilized. Due to the limited availability, intrinsic oxygen

The next part of the training turned out to be the toughest. We were required to dive ten feet to the bottom of the pool and retrieve a ten pound weight. Once the weight was brought to the surface we were supposed to tread water for two minutes while keeping the weight above the water line. This appeared to be simple so I dived in, expecting an easy time. I had no trouble getting the weight to the surface and proceeded to tread water with a feeling of undoubtable success. But once again my anti-floating physical quality began to take effect. At one minute and thirty seconds I began to sink and within the next fifteen seconds my head was submerged and I was fighting for air. The water from the pool began flowing into my mouth with each desperate grasp for air; it felt as if an ocean were draining into my body. I remember hearing from under the water the instructor's muffled voice counting down the last ten seconds of the exercise. When it was all over I slowly made my way back to the pool's edge where I was informed by the two young girls that they had no difficulty