If you think you were once a champion at holding your breath underwater, think again. A species of carp, closely related to the goldfish, can survive for months without oxygen.
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Carp before and after adapting to low-oxygen environments (Image: LiveScience) |
This freshwater fish, commonly found in rivers and lakes across Europe and Asia, can alter its gill structure to increase oxygen absorption, allowing it to survive in oxygen-deprived conditions. Additionally, the hemoglobin cells in its blood can bind to oxygen more effectively than any other vertebrate species.
Understanding how these animals cope with hypoxic conditions could help scientists tackle similar issues in humans.
“Diseases related to oxygen deprivation are one of the leading causes of death in industrialized countries. Nature’s evolution has addressed the issue of low oxygen levels for millions of years, while the medical field has struggled for decades with little success,” remarked Goran Nilsson, a professor at the University of Oslo.
M.T.
