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Information about Blowhole (biology)

Enlarge picture
The single blowhole of a bottlenose dolphin just before going under again
In biology, a blowhole is the hole at the top of a Cetacean's head through which the animal breathes air. It is homologous with the nostril of other mammals. As whales reach the water surface to breathe, they will forcefully expel air through the blowhole. The exhale is released into the comparably lower-pressure, colder atmosphere, and any water vapor condenses. This spray, known as the blow, is often visible from far away as a white splash, which can also be partially caused by water resting on top of the blowhole.

Sound production

Air sacs just below the blowhole allow whales to produce sounds for communication and (for those species capable of it) echolocation. These air sacs are filled with air, which is then released again to produce sound in a similar fashion to releasing air from a balloon.

Anatomy

Enlarge picture
The V-shaped double blowhole of a grey whale
Baleen whales have two blowholes positioned in a V-shape while toothed whales have only one blowhole. The sperm whale is a toothed whale and also has a single blowhole, but unlike other toothed whales it has a double air duct leading up to it and the blowhole is located left of center.

The trachea only connects to the blowhole and there is no connection to the esophagus as with humans and most other mammals. Because of this, there is no risk of food accidentally ending up in the animal's lungs, and likewise the animal cannot breathe through its mouth. The advantage of the blowhole is mainly that allows the animal to come up for air without having to stop or slow down much.
Biology (from Greek: βίος, bio, "life"; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge"), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the scientific study of life.
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Cetacea
Brisson, 1762

Diversity
Around 88 species; see list of cetaceans or below.

Suborders

Mysticeti
Odontoceti
Archaeoceti (extinct)
(see text for families)

The order Cetacea
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In evolutionary biology, homology is any similarity between characters that is due to their shared ancestry. There are examples in different branches of biology. Anatomical structures that perform the same function in different biological species and evolved from the same structure
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nostril (or naris, pl. nares) is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and
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Mammalia
Linnaeus, 1758

Subclasses & Infraclasses
  • Subclass †Allotheria*
  • Subclass Prototheria
  • Subclass Theria

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Communication is a process that allows organisms to exchange information by several methods. Communication requires that all parties understand a common language that is exchanged with each other.
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Echolocation may refer to:
  • Acoustic location, the general use of sound to locate objects
  • Animal echolocation, non-human animals emitting sound waves and listening to the echo in order to locate objects or navigate

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Mysticeti
Cope, 1891

Diversity
Around 15 species; see list of cetaceans or below.

Families

Balaenidae
Balaenopteridae
Eschrichtiidae
Neobalaenidae
The baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales
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Odontoceti
Flower, 1869

Diversity
Around 73; see List of cetaceans or below.

Families
See text.

The toothed whales (systematic name Odontoceti) form a suborder of the cetaceans.
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Physeter

Species: P. macrocephalus

Binomial name
Physeter macrocephalus
Linnaeus, 1758


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trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that has an inner diameter of about 20-25 mm and a length of about 10-16cm. It extends from the larynx to the primary (main) bronchi in mammals, and from the pharynx to the syrinx in birds, allowing the passage of air to the lungs.
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The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/œsophagus, Greek οἰσοφάγος), or gullet
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lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity.[1]]]

The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing vertebrates, the most primitive being the lungfish.
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