How do the fish that live in the depths of the ocean withstand the pressure, seeing as our submarines cannot? Also, how are they able to breathe given that the oxygen levels are very low at those depths?
2007-05-06 07:57:21 · 7 answers · asked by pullthetrigger 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
I think the largest factor is simply that they don't have large pockets of air like mammal lungs or submarines do. The problem with air is that, if you fill your lungs or a submarine with air at the surface, as you go down, the air molecules will be pushed together from pressure and the space it takes up will shrink. If you go up the air molecules move further apart because there's less pressure (it expands). This causes problems for us. But for a fish in the depths the air it takes in is at the same pressure as the inside of its body so there's no shrinking or expanding. Every animal is adapted to its environment. Sperm whales are a great example because they move from surface to deep depths. They have special adaptations for this huge pressure change including specialized lungs and even a "shunt" that redirects blood to different areas of the circulatory system.
2007-05-07 09:32:57 · answer #1 · answered by changchunsciencemonitor 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The third answer is correct. The pressure inside a fish equals the pressure outside the fish. Only the difference between the two is of importance. The fish, as long as it is not changing depth, does not have to do anything and won't even notice. What is amazing, though, is that many fish and many marine mammals can dive hundreds of meters in minutes and not suffer from the change in pressure. Humans would be injured and likely die if they tried to change their internal pressure so fast.
2016-05-17 04:51:03 · answer #2 · answered by janene 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when you ask "how do they withstand pressure" i will assume that you do not, in fact, mean social pressure - peer pressure. this is a serious issue that has to be confronted, and beaten down.
remember, you are your own person, be in charge of yourself!
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as for fish withstanding the water pressure, there is no air in their bodies to pressurize, so it's not even an issue. the levels of oxygen are NOT lower in the deeper depths of the ocean, because oxygen is a key factor in sea water. water is practically MADE with oxygen (and it's two little hydrogen friends, and whatever salts and stuff)
2007-05-07 14:05:02 · answer #3 · answered by Jim 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Equalisation of pressure within/without- just as we manage to sustain 10^5N/M^2 atmospheric pressure by having air at the same pressure in our lungs.
Normally the relatively cold ocean surfaces absorb oxygen preferentially and carry this to the deeps by convection. In global warming this mechanism is suspended and life-forms at the abysall depths have adapted to metabolise on H2S from underwater volcanic plumes.
2007-05-06 08:19:28 · answer #4 · answered by troothskr 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
they are designed that way, their skin - or should i say scales - isn't as hard as ours so they can easily withstand all the pressure. i don't know about how they breathe, maybe they have extra strong lungs or something..?
2007-05-06 08:02:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
they have whats called a swim bladder which they can inflate and deflate depending on how deep they swim, if you catch a fish quite deep, say 300ft and bring them to the surface quick they dont have time to inflate the bladder and it will be forced out of they mouths and kills them
2007-05-06 08:05:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They don't have lungs full of air!
2007-05-06 08:06:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋