{"id":36731,"date":"2024-03-14T10:38:47","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T09:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/578c0007-2124-404b-a3a4-76ba8baa3be5"},"modified":"2024-03-14T11:35:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T10:35:43","slug":"how-do-fish-breathe","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/how-do-fish-breathe\/","title":{"rendered":"How do fish breathe?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uncover the secrets of fish survival beneath the waves <\/p>

By Stuart Blackman\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 14 March 2024 at 09:38 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Explore the fascinating mechanism behind how fish breathe and adapt to their aquatic habitats.<\/strong><\/p>

A whale shark’s gills. Credit: Getty<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Lungs aren\u2019t much use under water. Water is more dense and viscous than air, which makes pumping it in and out of inflatable sacs very energy consuming. So, aquatic animals need a different method of extracting life-giving oxygen from their environment.<\/p>
How do fish gills work?<\/h2>
A fish\u2019s gills simply require a one-way flow of water over blood-rich tissues. The water enters through the mouth and exits through the gill slits on the side of the head. <\/p>
$\"\"$ <\/figure>
In between, the water passes through the gills themselves, curtain-like tissues that hang from stiff supporting structures. They are packed with tiny blood vessels, and as the water passes through them, oxygen dissolved in the water diffuses into the blood, while carbon dioxide is expelled in the opposite direction.<\/p>