how is it that a fetus doesnt drown in the womb?

Question

how can a fetus not drown in the womb surrounded by liquid, but need to breath once born. and does that mean that humans then are both aquatic & land animals?

Answer 1

The fetus doesn't drown, cause it's not breathing air with it's lungs like you or me. It get's it's oxygen from mom, through the umbilical cord. The circulation is actually set up to divert blood away from the lungs. Once the baby is born, the lungs inflate, a whole bunch of changes happen in the heart and circulatory system, they lose the circulation to the umbilical cord, blood instead now goes to the lungs, and the baby is now breathing air. It would be cool if we were both aquatic and land animals, but unfortunately we aren't.

Answer 2

A fetus receives the necessary oxygen from the mother's bloodstream, not from its lungs. After birth, a baby begins breathing and the unbilical cord is cut. Although humans are, in a way, aquatic before birth and actually 'breath' amniotic fluid in preparation for birth, they could not survive without the vital oxygen being supplied by the mother. Since there is never a time in our development where we have gills, humans would not be considered truly "aquatic".

Interesting question!

Answer 3

The lungs are actually not expanded at all in the womb, the umbilical cord supplies all of the oxygen for the baby. Although the baby makes breathing "motions" with its chest (rising and falling) it is not actually "breathing" in the terms that we think of breathing in! Babies get all of their oxygen from the umbilical cord. Once the baby is born, and the umbilical cord is cut, the baby then need to get oxygen (because the cord is no longer supplying it) so it cries, which expands the lungs, and the rest is history!! =)

Answer 4

The mother provides the nutrition, water, and oxygen needed for the baby. The amnoitic fluid is not all water. Through the umbilical cord, the mother feeds the child and passes oxygen rich blood through the baby. Therefore, the baby doesn't need air. Once the baby comes out and the mother is no longer providing the oxygen, then yes, the baby needs to start breathing on it's own. The main purpose for the amniotic fluid is to act as a shock absorber and to reduce severe changes in environmental factors such as temperature. I hope this helps your understanding.

Answer 5

Because they don't breathe, obviusly. Humans are not aquatic animals, they simply depend on the mother whilst in the womb, like all mammals. There is no air in the womb, and that is why there is the umbilical cord, because the baby is surviving off the mothers food and air.

Answer 6

Before a baby is born, she/he breathes the amniotic fluid in and out for practice. But the baby gets oxygen via the umbilical cord.

Once baby's face hits the air, it causes a huge change in baby's circulatory system. Instead of picking up oxygen from the umbilical cord, baby starts very suddenly to get the oxygen from the lungs. Baby has to breathe on her/his own.

Fish, on the other hand, pull oxygen out of the water--something a baby doesn't do in the uterus.

Answer 7

Donno about the fetus in the womb thing, but I don't think we're both aquatic and land animals. Just land animals from my point of veiw. Cause the baby gets all it's newtrishin from the cord, including air. Just like being in a little submerin full of water and still bein' able to breath.

Answer 8

Babies in the womb breathe via an umbilical cord which brings in oxygen and nutrients and serves as a conduit to discharge waste products.

Answer 9

relatively, any human can breathe liquid if it has the superb volume of oxygen pumped into it to maintain us alive. Rats and Mice have been stored alive for hours in great-oxygenated water for experiments throughout the time of the '70's and '80's. an incredible occasion is the action picture "The Abyss" the place with the intention to realize the backside of the sea floor, they placed on a rigidity adventure it incredibly is then crammed with an oxygenated liquid so as that the rigidity won't crush the diver. great question.

Answer 10

The baby's throat/nasal passages are closed off until he's born (that's why they suction them out immediately after they're born...to get rid of the mucous/amniotic fluid and help them take their first breath). While in utero, they receive oxygen through the placenta (via the umbilical cord).