Gazelles shrink liver and heart to reduce oxygen consumption during drought
“We found that gazelles had the lowest total evaporative water loss ever measured in an arid zone ungulate [hoofed animal],” write Stéphane Otrowski (National Wildlife Research Center, Saudi Arabia), Pascal Mésochina (National Wildlife Research Center, Saudi Arabia), and Joseph B. Williams (Ohio State University).
Sand gazelles' livers and hearts–which are important determinants of metabolic rate–decrease significantly in mass during four months of food and water restriction. Conversely, the gut walls, which are responsible in ruminants for 28–46% of whole-body protein synthesis, an energy demanding process, did not decrease significantly in mass. There are few sources of drinking water in the desert, so sand gazelles must rely on vegetation for both food and water requirements.
“The deserts of the Arabian Peninsula are among the most austere of terrestrial environments, with low, unpredictable rainfall, and high ambient temperature,” explain the authors. “The sand gazelle has evolved a remarkable capacity to reduce its evaporative water losses, which is likely a component of their success.”
Unexpectedly, the researchers also found that deprived sand gazelles had a higher fat content in the brain, revealing that gazelles may store fats in the brain to secure brain metabolism during prolonged food and water deprivation.
Since 1928, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology has presented original, current research in environmental, adaptational, and comparative physiology and biochemistry.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.uchicago.eduAll latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry
Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.
Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.
Newest articles
New anti-cancer agent works without oxygen
Why tumors shrink but don’t disappear. “As tumors grow very quickly, consume a lot of oxygen and their vascular growth can’t necessarily keep pace, they often contain areas that are…
First blueprint of the human spliceosome revealed
Researchers detail the inner workings of the most complex and intricate molecular machine in human biology. Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have created the first…
A paper-aluminum combo for strong, sustainable packaging
Takeout containers get your favorite noodles from the restaurant to your dining table (or couch) without incident, but they are nearly impossible to recycle if they are made from foil-lined…