2007-03-27 05:08:50 · 12 answers · asked by Smoochy Poochy 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
A popular myth is that sharks are immune to disease and cancer; however, this is untrue. There are both diseases and parasites that affect sharks. The evidence that sharks are at least resistant to cancer and disease is mostly anecdotal and there have been few, if any, scientific or statistical studies that have shown sharks to have heightened immunity to disease.
2007-03-27 06:36:36 · answer #1 · answered by onyx27 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, for some reason this has become some kind of urban myth kind of thing, where people for some reason believe that shark's don't get cancer.
Much like the myths that duck's quacks don't echo, daddy-longlegs are the most poisonous creature on the planet, or that bumblebees defy the laws of physics, they not only aren't true, but don't even have a plausible basis in reality.
It is used by unscrupulous or incredulous 'nature remedy' alternative medicine types to sell a lot of medically useless shark cartilage pills to people who are afraid of cancer.
I've never understood why odd myths like these are impossible to kill, but we still can't get people to understand actually important, useful things like 'don't transport firewood with bark on it'.
2007-03-27 12:39:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not sure about this but, 3 Sharks very recently died on being moved from their tank at Sea Life in Hunstanton Norfolk UK to a tempory tank elsewhere. The experts are baffled.
P.S. Perhaps they forgot to fill it with water
2007-03-27 12:32:51 · answer #3 · answered by Gary Crant 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
who knows ,we never see sick sharks ,because the healthy ones will eat them .that is their job
and it is largly why preditors exist .
that is why there are not many sick animals in nature ,and if there are they do not live very long
we humans should introduce this concept
and the world would be in a better condition.
2007-03-27 15:18:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sharks are not totally disease and cancer free. No other animal is. Scientists aren't entirely sure but they don't know that sharks don't get diseases. There's no evidence saying sharks never get ill. They just have very few incidences. Maybe it's because of their role as the ocean clean-up that they don't get sick as easily?
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/138008
2007-03-27 12:18:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Im not sure about all diseases but i know they dont get cancer if thats any help?
2007-03-27 12:28:21 · answer #6 · answered by 2 good 2 miss 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure they NEVER get sick, but they do have a very poorly developed immune system.
2007-03-27 12:11:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I just heard that the other day, but I'm not really sure, I would think that all animals would succumb to some sort of illness.
2007-03-27 12:12:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes,they are useful in cancer research.
2007-03-28 10:11:52 · answer #9 · answered by marzmargs12 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes.
sharks are immune to even cancer.
2007-03-27 12:49:43 · answer #10 · answered by red_daffodils 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋