| Haemoglobin as a buoyancy regulator and oxygen supply in the backswimmer (Notonectidae, Anisops). | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19043051 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Unlike all other diving insects, backswimmers of the genus Anisops can exploit the pelagic zone by temporarily achieving near-neutral buoyancy during the course of a dive. They begin a dive positively buoyant due to the large volume of air carried in their ventral air-stores, but rapidly enter a protracted period of near-neutral buoyancy before becoming negatively buoyant. This dive profile is due to haemoglobin found in large tracheated cells in the abdomen. Fibre optic oxygen probes placed in the air-stores of submerged bugs revealed that oxygen partial pressure (P(O(2))) dropped in a sigmoid curve, where a linear decline preceded a plateau between 5.1 and 2.0 kPa, before a final drop. Buoyancy measurements made by attaching backswimmers to a sensitive electronic balance showed the same three phases. Inactivating the haemoglobin by fumigating backswimmers with 15% CO eliminated both buoyancy and P(O(2)) plateaus. Oxygen unloaded from the haemoglobin stabilises the air-store during the neutrally buoyant phase after a decrease in volume of between 16% and 19%. Using measurements of air-store P(O(2)) and volume, it was calculated that during a dive the haemoglobin and air-store contribute 0.25 and 0.26 microl of oxygen, respectively. |
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Authors:
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Philip G D Matthews; Roger S Seymour |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The Journal of experimental biology Volume: 211 ISSN: 0022-0949 ISO Abbreviation: J. Exp. Biol. Publication Date: 2008 Dec |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2008-12-01 Completed Date: 2009-03-04 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0243705 Medline TA: J Exp Biol Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 3790-9 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Darling Building, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. philip.matthews@adelaide.edu.au |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Air
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analysis Animals Diving / physiology Hemoglobins / physiology* Insects / physiology* Oxygen / physiology* Partial Pressure Swimming / physiology* Temperature Water / chemistry |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Hemoglobins; 7732-18-5/Water; 7782-44-7/Oxygen |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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