RESPIRATION IN DIVING MAMMALS

Abstract

The maximum recorded durations for holding the breath are reviewed for man and other mammals under various conditions, and in relation to basal O2 requirements, lung capacity, activity, blood vol., O2 capacity of the blood, transport of CO2, possible storage sites of O2, anaerobic sources of energy, vascular structures and reactions, cardiac arrhythmias, and the receptors concerned in respiratory regulation. The respiratory adaptations of diving mammals differ only quantitatively from those of land animals.