Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
In contrast, bony fishes have a single outer bony gill covering called an operculum. Most sharks and rays have five pairs of gill slits, but a few species have 6 or 7 pairs. Shark gill slits lie in a row behind the head. The anterior edge of a gill slit is motile, moving outward to allow water to exit, but closing to prevent reverse flow.
The gills are composed of comb-like filaments, the gill lamellae, which help increase their surface area for oxygen exchange. [5] When a fish breathes, it draws in a mouthful of water at regular intervals. Then it draws the sides of its throat together, forcing the water through the gill openings, so it passes over the gills to the outside.
Bonaparte's original definition of Elasmobranchii was effectively identical to modern Chondrichthyes, and was based around gill architecture shared by all 3 living major cartilaginous fish groups. During the 20th century it became standard to exclude chimaeras from Elasmobranchii; along with including many fossil chondrichthyans within the group.
Many aquatic animals have developed gills for respiration which are specifically adapted to their function. In fish, for example, they have: A large surface area to allow as much oxygen to enter the gills as possible because more of the gas comes into contact with the membrane; Good blood supply to maintain the concentration gradient needed
Shark Anatomy (50693674756) The gill slits of a whale shark flaring as it expels water from its pharyngeal cavity. In the shark anatomy image, it depicts the beginning half of the shark, including the gills. The shark gills are especially important and were evolved from the chordate pharyngeal gill slits synapomorphy.
Batoid gill slits lie under the pectoral fins on the underside, whereas a shark's are on the sides of the head. Most batoids have a flat, disk-like body, with the exception of the guitarfishes and sawfishes , while most sharks have a spindle-shaped body.
In 2018, there were only 66 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks on humans, which is the lowest it's been in years. It's even more rare for the attack to be fatal — last year, the U.S. experienced ...
Here, the shark pumps blood to its gills via the ventral aorta where it branches into afferent branchial arteries. Gas exchange takes place in the gills and the reoxygenated blood flows into the efferent branchial arteries, which come together to form the dorsal aorta. The blood flows from the dorsal aorta throughout the body.