Organism Physiology

Organism Physiology

Dolphins are amazing creatures. They spend their entire life in the water and are well adapted to it. There streamlined bodies have evolved to be well suited for the water. They withstand great pressure when diving deep and can hold their breath for an extended amount of time. They are intelligent and have a remarkable social structure in which they live and communicate with each other.

To start with dolphins surprising have smaller lungs then humans proportionately but use oxygen much more efficiently. Because of a higher amount of myoglobin in their blood it allows for better holding of their oxygen (Marx, Morbey, & Tomiak, n.d.). Some species of dolphins such as the bottlenose dolphin can hold it’s breath for up to 10 minutes. When a dolphin dives their muscles work without oxygen and most of the blood is pushed to organs such as the brain, lungs and heart. Even the heart slows down during these dives to conserve oxygen.

Fat and blubber help insulate dolphins from the cold water they live in. The blubber also streamlines the dolphins’ bodies and also helps conserve energy. Since dolphins are very active animals they have a complex circulatory system that allows them to control the flow of blood in their body parts. This is called vasodilatation, the arteries carrying the blood travel to different parts in the body and helps keep these areas warm (Marx, Morbey, & Tomiak, n.d.).

Because dolphins have no fur they have a streamlined body, with smooth skin that helps with little drag in the water. There flippers and dorsal fin are highly modified for maximum force through the water making them perfect for the water environment.

Communication is a key thing for the dolphins as they live in the oceans. They use sounds and echolocation. Each dolphin has its own whistle or voice if you like as they communicate to each other. They have a sophisticated way of communication and helps with finding food that might be hard to see in dark and murky waters. They also rely on their body color to help with camouflage. This helps when they hunt for food as to not be noticed by their next meal and also not to become someone else’s meal.