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Why is blubber a better insulator for ocean mammals than hair or fur?
Their fur is so thick that no water can reach their skin. This way, their skin stays dry and warm. Blubber is a continuous layer of fat tissue, and it is the fat itself that acts as an insulator.
Why do marine mammals need blubber?
Blubber is important for most marine mammals, such as whales and seals. The thick layer of fat provides insulation from cold ocean temperatures. Blubber is also important because it stores energy that can be broken down to provide the animal energy when food is unavailable.
What advantage does blubber in marine mammals have over fur in terrestrial mammals as a heat insulator?
Blubber is more vascularized—rich in blood vessels—than other adipose tissue. Blubber has advantages over fur (as in sea otters) in that, though fur retains heat by holding pockets of air, the air expels under pressure (i.e., when the animal dives). Blubber, however, does not compress under pressure.
How does blubber help sea animals survive in extremely cold conditions?
Whales, seals and some penguins have thick layers of fat (or blubber). These fat layers act like insulation, trapping body heat in. Some animals can selectively reduce the flow of blood to their blubber layers. This reduces the amount of energy it takes to stay warm by keeping blood further away from the skin surface.
Why is blubber a good insulator?
To insulate the marine mammal, blood vessels in blubber constrict, or get smaller, in cold water. Constricted blood vessels reduce the flow of blood, thus reducing the energy required to heat the body. This conserves heat. Finally, blubber helps marine mammals stay buoyant, or float.
Why is blubber a better insulator than muscle?
Blubber is a thick layer of fat (adipose) tissue. 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.
What is blubber used for?
Blubber is usually taken from right whales. The blubber is cooked until rendered into oil, known as whale oil, that can be used for soap, and as a component in makeup that contributes a glossy shine. Blubber is also turned into fuel for lamps, wax for candles and grease for machinery.
How might blubber be used by marine mammals to improve their hydrodynamic efficiency?
The blubber layer serves as an insulator in mammals living in often cold marine environments and is thus central to their entire process of thermoregulation. Blubber also affects buoyancy and functions as a body streamliner and elastic spring for efficient hydrodynamic locomotion.
What does blubber taste like?
When chewed raw, the blubber becomes oily, with a nutty taste; if not diced, or at least serrated, the skin is quite rubbery.
Is whale blubber good for you?
Blubber contains high levels of antioxidants and represents the most important source of vitamin C in the Arctic, and whale mattak (skin) is rich in vitamin A and C, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin as well as being a major source of antioxidants and selenium.