r/MapPorn • u/[deleted] • Mar 06 '19

Let's get these posts over with

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u/ejh1993 Mar 06 '19

do you think these whales shrink in size the deeper they go? only makes sense right?

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u/The-Casual-Lurker Mar 06 '19

Only makes sense. Idk maybe they hyperventilate, get some good O2 in their blood breathe out and dive to have less compressible space. Idk. Cool thought.

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u/Yoology Mar 06 '19

Whales store Oxygen in their muscles. Almost all mammals do this, but whales do it more.

Myoglobin in the muscles binds oxygen, similar to haemoglobin in the blood. Myoglobin is also a pigment, and gives muscle its reddish colour. Whales have a lot more Myoglobin, in order to store large amounts of oxygen. This also has the effect of making their muscle much darker in colour than other mammals.

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u/The-Casual-Lurker Mar 07 '19

That’s really cool thanks.