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A Diving Response On Aquatic Mammals And Birds Essay

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Introduction:
This study was designed to investigate whether or not humans have a diving response similar to aquatic mammals and birds. In other words, our objective was to determine whether or not humans, despite living predominantly terrestrial lifestyles, experience “diving bradycardia”, or reduced heart rate, when subjected to apnea in cold water (Moyes and Schulte 2016). Moyes and Schulte (2016) described the cardiovascular dive response as being “not unique to diving mammals, but instead [ . . .] a fundamental property of all vertebrates”. “Most animals reduce metabolic rate and redistribute blood flow to essential tissues when they are deprived of oxygen” (Moyes and Schulte 2016). We used this information to hypothesize that humans do indeed exhibit a diving response when subjected to cold water apnea.

Before treatment exposure, the six subjects were seated and relaxed with eyes closed for five minutes while their heart rate was recorded, to establish a resting heart rate. Immediately following this five minute relaxation period, study participants were exposed to one of two treatments. During the control treatment, breathing in air, participants leaned into an empty basin and breathed normally for one minute while their heart rate was recorded. During the test treatment, cold water apnea, participants leaned into a basin filled with 10C water and attempted to hold their breath for one minute while their heart rate was recorded. Subjects were exposed to both

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