There are many examples of animals that can naturally tolerate hypoxic and anoxic conditions without exhibiting pathologies associated with reoxygenation. Here are a few examples from this year’s conference:
Dr. Anthony Signore (University of Nebraska) spoke about how some hypoxia tolerant animals can use carbon monoxide, you know that gas we think of as poisonous, to improve oxygen binding to hemoglobin in hypoxic conditions.
Image of a turtle skeleton by Felipe Oliveira Ribas via Wikimedia Commons
Well known for their ability to regulate blood calcium concentrations, Dr. Daniel Warren (St. Louis University) presented a poster yesterday describing how anoxia-tolerant painted turtles may also use their skeletons to help buffer the pH of their blood by preventing acidosis resulting from lactate metabolism.
Photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim from Wikimedia Commons
Dr. Jacob Campbell (USDA-ARS) presented data showing that anoxia tolerance varies across lifespan in drosophila with adults more tolerant than larvae.
Image of a crucian carp by Viridiflavus via Wikimedia CommonsÂ
Dr. Sjannie Lefevre (University of Oslo) presented research showing that, athough crucian carp (Carassius carassius) can survive anoxic conditions for a period of several months, these animals are remarkably resistant to damage caused by tissue reoxygenation.
Categories: Environment, Extreme Animals, Hibernation and Hypoxia, Physiology on the Road
Tags: American Physiological Society, anoxia, bone, carbon monoxide, carp, Drosophila, fish, hypoxia, lactate, reoxygenation, turtle
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 