Background Mammals that have evolved to live in cold waters, such as whales, seals, sea lions and polar bears, commonly have a layer of blubber. Whether they are living in cold waters near the North Pole or around Antarctica or are visiting the deep ocean, these animals' blubber is vital to their survival.
During the winter, the air in the Arctic the northernmost part of the world is often below —40 degrees Celsius —40 degrees Fahrenheit. Antarctica, the coldest place in the world, can be below —60 degrees C —76 degrees F.
Depending on the species, whales dive more than or meters about one fourth of a mile deep in the ocean, where the water can be colder than 12 degrees C 54 degrees F. Blubber helps these marine mammals from getting too cold. Cold-blooded marine animals, such as fish, sharks or crabs, do not need to stay warm and can let their body temperatures get closer to that of the water. Thus, they do not need to have this extra insulation.
Blubber is a thick layer of fat adipose tissue. Animals store extra digested food in the form of adipose tissue, which contains molecules called lipids.
Adipose tissue has a relatively low thermal conductivity, which means that it does not transfer heat as well as other tissues and materials—such as muscle or skin. That way, it helps to insulate an animal's body. Add cold water to each bowl. They should be the same temperature. When the temperature levels off which should happen quickly , the water is ready for the test. Leave your other pointer finger clean and bare. When he or she is ready, put the pointer finger of each hand into one of the bowls of ice water and have your partner start timing you.
As soon as your finger feels too cold to keep it in the water any longer, take it out. How long did you leave each finger in the bowl? Constricted blood vessels reduce the flow of blood, thus reducing the energy required to heat the body.
This conserve s heat. Finally, blubber helps marine mammals stay buoyant, or float. Blubber is generally less dense than the ocean water surrounding it, so animals naturally float. Animals with the thickest blubber, such as right whales, are found in Arctic and Antarctic regions.
In these animals, blubber is more than a foot thick! The thickness of their blubber does not indicate better energy storage, insulation, or buoyancy, however. Those characteristic s are determined by the chemical property of the blubber. Many ancient cultures of the Arctic relied on blubber as a staple part of their diet. Muktuk , for example, is a traditional food consumed by the Eskimo and Inuit people, native to the U. Muktuk is thick slices of whale blubber and skin.
Besides being an excellent source of energy and vitamin D, muktuk was often the chief source of vitamin C for these Arctic people. Citrus trees, whose fruit is probably the most familiar source of vitamin C, do not grow in such cold temperatures.
Today, the process of biomagnification has made consumption of muktuk and other whale meat a possible health risk. Biomagnification is the process in which the concentration of a substance increases as it passes up the food chain. Jojoba is chemically similar to spermaceti and so can be used in many of the same products with similar results. Stearyl alcohol and stearic acid, which once were utilized from whale blubber, now are typically derived from plants or synthetic sources, although sometimes from mink oil.
Other wax and oil products which are found in lipstick nowadays are beeswax, carnauba and candelilla wax both plant-based , castor oil, olive oil, lanolin, cocoa butter and vegetable oil. Also, don't forget the powerful petroleum industry--petrolatum and certain mineral oils are common in cosmetics as well.
Some present-day cosmetics ingredients may be of concern for consumers who prefer all-natural, environmentally-friendly and animal-friendly products, but these consumers no longer need to worry about whale oil as an ingredient in lipstick and other cosmetics. Shelley Moore is a journalist and award-winning short-story writer.
She specializes in writing about personal development, health, careers and personal finance. Moore has been published in "Family Circle" magazine and the "Milwaukee Sentinel" newspaper, along with numerous other national and regional magazines, daily and weekly newspapers and corporate publications.
She has a Bachelor of Science in psychology. Time Frame Whales have been hunted since prehistoric times for meat and for the blubber's valuable properties as an oil or wax. History of Excessive whale hunting due to lack of regulation led to low prices for whale products, as well as a significant decline in the international whale population, some species with severe population losses.
Geography Opinions and activities of different nations regarding whaling still varies widely.
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