Structure and biomechanical properties of the trachea of the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba:: Evidence for evolutionary adaptations to diving
Structure and biomechanical properties of the trachea of the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba:: Evidence for evolutionary adaptations to diving
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DOI：
10.1002/ar.a.20182
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发表时间：
2005-05-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Costantino, ML
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cozzi, B;Bagnoli, P;Costantino, ML
本研究分析了最常见的鲸类物种之一的条纹海豚Stenella coeruleoalba的气管的结构和力学性能。鲸类的气管由封闭或半封闭的软骨环组成，没有膜壁。我们的研究结果表明，气管的内层包含勃起组织，其中几个静脉陷窝渗透粘膜。我们还观察到并描述了周围神经元含有一氧化氮沿沿着静脉陷窝的边缘。从压缩和拉伸试验中获得的数据以及与猪和山羊气管的比较表明，海豚气管具有更高的刚度和不同的更高的断裂点。总的来说，我们的数据表明，条纹海豚的气管具有结构特性，允许快速充满血液，可能与潜水活动有关，并且还允许由于压力增加而进行修改，并立即恢复到原始形状，而没有永久弯曲或破裂的风险，就像陆生哺乳动物一样。由于器官在下降到最佳觅食深度和随后快速上升到水面的过程中经历了强烈的压力差，特别是在数百米的深潜中，条纹海豚气管的特定结构和生物力学特性可能代表了对水中生活和潜水的进化适应。(c)2005 Wiley-Liss，Inc.
This study analyzes the structure and mechanical properties of the trachea of the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba, one of the most common cetacean species. The cetacean trachea is made up of closed or semiclosed cartilaginous rings without a paries membranaceus. Our results indicate that the inner lining of the trachea contains erectile tissue in which several venous lacunae permeate the mucosa. We also observed and described the presence of peripheral neurons containing nitric oxide along the rim of the venous lacunae. Data obtained from compression and tensile tests and comparison with the pig and goat tracheas indicate a higher stiffness and a different, higher breaking point for the dolphin trachea. On the whole, our data suggest that the trachea of the striped dolphin possesses structural properties that allow rapid filling with blood, possibly in relation to dive activities, and also allow modifications due to increased pressure and immediate return to the original shape without risks of permanent bending or rupture, as would happen in a terrestrial mammal. As the organ undergoes intense pressure difference during descent to optimal foraging depth and subsequent rapid ascent to surface, especially in deep dives of hundreds of meters, the specific structural and biomechanical peculiarities of the trachea of the striped dolphin may represent an evolutionary adaptation to life in the water and to diving. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.