Fishes stop breathing for months

If you think you're a champion in holding your breath underwater, think again. A grouper species, whose relatives are close to goldfish, can live for months without oxygen.

Bring fish before and after being accustomed to hypoxia ( Photo: LiveScience )

This freshwater fish, often living in lakes and rivers in Europe and Asia, can change its bearing structure to increase its ability to absorb oxygen, helping them survive when there is a shortage of air. In addition, hemoglobin cells in the blood transporting oxygen can bind oxygen more strongly than any vertebrate animal.

Understanding how animals deal with oxygen starvation can help scientists solve similar problems in humans.

" The diseases related to hypoxia are one of the main causes of death in industrialized countries. The evolution of nature has helped solve the lack of oxygen from millions of years ago, while the industry The medical department has been struggling for decades without much results, "said Goran Nilsson, a professor at the University of Oslo.

MT