WHALE ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

Presented by Kim SandorMarine MammalsKeystone College

Average 50 feet in length

Skull forms more than 1/3 of the length

SKELETAL SYSTEM:

SKELETAL SYSTEM:

SPINAL COLUMN:

Consists of 44 vertebrae Cervical Vertebrae

Dorsal Vertebrae

Terminal Vertebrae

Spinal Cord is triangular in shape

CHEST REGION & FINS (skeletal):

Ribs

– 11 to 13 per side

– 1-6 are directly attached to the sternum

Sternum

Scapula

Humerus

Radius

Ulna

Carpus

7 square bones

Phalanges

5 bones

TEETH:

Average of 40-56 Each average

about 3 in. long Cutting lengthwise

reveals lines to estimate their age

Used to catch & crush prey/not to cut

TEETH:

Baleen whales have sieve-like structures called Baleen instead of teeth

JAW:

Considered weak Only moves in one

plain

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: Food directly to pharynx

Esophagus

Stomach

Mechanical

Chemical

Pyloric Duodenal Ampulla

Pylorus

ORGANS:Liver

Pancreas

Anus

Kidneys

Many small kidneys

Bladder

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:

Blowhole Voluntary

Nasal Cavity Sphincter Larynx Trachea Lungs

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:

Renews 80% of its air in one breath

Oxygen reserves in the blood & muscles

Hemoglobin

Myoglobin

Diving at great depths

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM:

Warm blooded Veins/Arteries

Also used to conserve body heat

Abundant with red blood cells

Increases amount of oxygen carried

HEART:

Heart rate about 60bpm at the surface

Heart rate about 30bpm when diving

Large whales it is a lot slower:

10-30bpm

After a lengthy time under water, the right half of the heart stops beating and restricts blood flow to the lungs to allow the left side of the heart to send the oxygenated blood to the brain

THERMOREGULATION: Thick layer of blubber just

underneath the skin

Insulation & energy reserve

Body temp. about 97.5 F

Blubber composed of fat cells & fibrous connective tissue about 3-4 in. thick

Increased metabolic rate generates body heat

When diving blood is shut off from the surface to decrease circulation to conserve body heat

Warm water/Exercise may cause the need to release excess heat to the flippers, flukes, or fins

Their reduced limb sizes and body shape help them conserve body heat because of the decreased amount of surface area exposed

MUSCULAR SYSTEM: Great amounts of

myoglobin rich in oxygen

Tail is main source of forward movement

Dorsal Fin source for rolling or changing position in water

Flukes are used for steering and to aid in stopping

Main source for oxygen storage

SKIN:

Epidermis Stratum granulosum Stratum lucidum Shed rapidly while swimming Mitotic division rate about 290X that of the

human epidermis

SENSES: Sight

Hearing/Echolocation Sends out a sound that echoes of the object to

determine the distance, size, shape, texture, and speed of the object

Send to the brain through the auditory nerve

Smell

Taste

Touch vibrissae/stubble-like whiskers

Magnetism

WORKS CITED:

AARLUK. Killer Whales Breathing,Killer Whales Digestion, & Thermoregulation, retrieved 4/11/11, http://www.aarluk.com

Beale, Thomas. The Natural History Of The Sperm Whale, retrieved 4/6/11, http://mysite.du.edu/ttyler/ploughboy/bealenew.htm

Killer Whale Biology, retrieved, 4/6/11, http://www.orca.online.fr/kwhales.htm

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/killer-whale/adaptations.htm Retrieved 4/8/11

http://library.thinkquest.org/1963/respiratory-system.html Retrieved 4/8/11

Whale Anatomy and Physiology. Whale Senses. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/anatomy/index.shtml, retrieved 3/31/11.

Killer Whale Biology. http://www.orca.online.fr.contents.htm, retrieved 3/31/11.

Cetaceans. http://science.jrank.org/pages/1355/Cetaceans-Anatomy-physiology.html, retrieved 3/31/11.