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Asked by azman to Carol, Ellie, John, Philip, Rebecca on 2 Jul 2012. This question was also asked by bigboy123.
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Carol White answered on 2 Jul 2012:
Because they’re not mammals, so don’t have lungs! The gills act as filters to get oxygen into the shark for it to function.
Did you know….?
A shark has to keep moving at all times for the fresh water to pass through the gills, or it would run out of oxygen!
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Rebecca Lacey answered on 2 Jul 2012:
Hi @azman,
Sharks have gills in order to be able to “breathe” under water. Sharks have between 5 and 7 gills on the sides of their heads.
While the shark is moving, water passes through the mouth. This is called “ram ventilation”. While at rest, most sharks pump water over their gills to make sure there is a constant supply of oxygenated water.
There are some sharks which have lost the ability to do this and so have to keep swimming without stopping in order to stay alive!
Comments
azman commented on :
thanks guyz
azman commented on :
why birds can fly
zachpebbles commented on :
@Azman, they fly because they have, like… thin/brittle bones in there wings.