2006-07-25 23:30:21 · 12 answers · asked by Lyrixsta 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
When our lungs were filled with fluid, we were getting our oxygen from our mother's blood through the umbilical cord. If our lung filled with fluid now, it would interfere with the lung's ability tho get oxygen and therefore we die. Scientists believe that if you were to introduce an oxygen rich fluid into the lungs, we would be fine.
2006-07-25 23:32:56 · answer #1 · answered by Man with a plan. 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Babies do not "breath" for oxygen in the womb. They do "practice breathing" using the amniotic
fluid of the womb, but it is not doing them any good otherwise. All of the embryo and fetal needs are received through the placenta. The mother provides everything that is needed.
The placenta is a special interface between the mother and the baby where tiny blood vessels (capillaries) from the embryo lie very close to capillaries from the mother. Oxygen from the air enters the mother's bloodstream in her lungs. This oxygen is then carried to the placenta, where it diffuses from the mother's capillaries to the baby's capillaries. The oxygen then flows through the baby's blood system to its tissues. Carbon dioxide is removed from the baby in the reverse process.
Early in development, of course, the embryo doesn't even have lungs for breathing or kidneys for filtering its blood. The placenta is formed very early on and allows the embryo to get oxygen and nutrients from the mother and get rid of waste for the whole duration of embryonic development.
Late in development, the fetus does actually breathe with its lungs, but it is breathing in amniotic fluid and not really getting much oxygen this way. When the fetus breathes in liquid late in its development, it just gets its lungs used to working. During birth, the placental connection with the mother is lost, and the baby must immediately start breathing air with its own lungs or it will die.
No, humans couldn't learn to breathe underwater for at least two important reasons. First, the amount of oxygen that dissolves in water is far too low to sustain human life -- and, the lungs were not designed to extract oxygen from a liquid medium.
So the babies while in the womb even though they are taking in water in the lungs at the latter stage of the gestation, they are still getting oxygen via the placenta. When we breath in water we are not getting oxygen from the water so we drown.
2006-07-26 06:38:54 · answer #2 · answered by MissBehave 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the womb our lungs are developing, and not in use - we get our oxygenated blood delivered straight into the bloodstream from the placenta via the umbilical cord. But when people's lungs are filled with fluid when drowning, they cannot obtain oxygen because our lungs don't work that way, we need to obtain oxygen from air in our lungs, not from water.
2006-07-26 17:50:08 · answer #3 · answered by Rotifer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because in the womb our oxygen is fed into the bloodstream via the umbilical, That why babies are made to cry when they are born to make sure that the lung are clear of fluid and can start pumping oxygen.
2006-07-26 06:35:43 · answer #4 · answered by elvis_liveonstage 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amniotic fluid keeps the lungs from collapsing whilst the baby is in the uterus/womb until such times as it can breathe air.
2006-07-26 06:52:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the reason is in gamma heamoglobin. it is baby haemoglobin that is more reactive at sequestering oxygen from the mother blood, so the foetus doesn't need to breathe. once the baby is close to birth the haem group switches to alpha and beta globin and this has more affinity to gaseous oxygen, doing so you drown if there is again amniotic fluid in your lungs
2006-07-26 12:11:41 · answer #6 · answered by Prof. Hubert Farnsworth 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because oxygenated blood was supplied to the foetus from the mother via the placenta and umbilical cord.
2006-07-26 06:34:27 · answer #7 · answered by Boris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had an umbilical cord for oxygen. We didn't use our lungs in the womb.
2006-07-26 06:41:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because they werent! the lungs are not used until birth.
any fluid in the lungs would immediately result in pneumonia or death within hours of being born.
2006-07-26 06:33:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Can I just say that I have seen your picture with a different name attached to it askin another question..... somethin funny goin on here...............
who IS the guy in the picture?
I don't care really I'm just after points........ and 2 is better than none
2006-07-26 10:15:35 · answer #10 · answered by sloppy chops 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋