Summary
Blood circulation, regulation and heart structure varies from animal to animal. Each individual creature has tailored qualities to support their unique lifestyles. These are the main differences among the red-eyed tree frog, elephant, chimpanzee, camel and polar bear.
Frogs are amphibians. This means that along with being cold-blooded, they have the ability to respire through their skin. A frogs heart has 3 compartments; 2 atria and 1 ventricle. Some mixing of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood occurs in this single ventricle, but there is still enough oxygen to supply the rest of the body. Blood from the right atrium flows into the pulmocutaneous arteries where it reaches the lungs and skin to become oxygenated. Oxygenated blood from the left atrium flows into the carotid arches where is reaches the head region of the frog.
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One of the largest mammals today the Asian and African elephants are two types of elephants alive today. Their habitats are mainly desert and tropical forest environments were keeping cool is very important. The main cooling mechanism for these animals is the blood's circulation through the ears of the elephant that significantly cool the blood because of the thin skin. The elephant has an abnormal double apex heart that only beats about 30 beats per minute.
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Chimpanzees have a four-chambered heart, just like humans, with arteries and veins. The blood enters the heart through the vena cava into the right atria, pushed into the right ventricle, forced out the pulmonary artery, is brought back in through the pulmonary veins into the left atria, pushed into the left ventricle, and is finally forced out through the aorta, flowing to the rest of the body. Unlike humans, chimpanzees only have blood type A and very rarely O, but never B. Because of this, the possibility of blood transfusions are a little trickier between chimps and humans and the likeliness of contracting HIV increases. Unknown to most, HIV was first contracted by humans from chimpanzees in Cameroon where humans hunted chimps and contracted their immunodeficiency virus, SIV, and spreading it through Africa and then other parts of the world.
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Camels are warm blooded mammals. They have a closed circulatory system. Camel's cardiac rate is about 50 beats/minute. Their blood pressure ranges from 76mmHg to 115mmHg. And their blood volume is 93ml/kg.
Since water is scarce in the desert, their red blood cells have evolved to be oval. This facilitates red blood cell circulation in the thick and narrow blood stream when under dehydrated condition; and this helps camel maintain normal body functions. Their red blood cells also help the camels retain more water. It can expand up to 240% of its volume. To retain their water volume, they normally do not sweat under 120 ºF. To cool the brain, they have a selective cooling system according a research. This cooling system involves the venous blood vessels. The cooler venous blood cools the arterial blood that goes to the brain by heat exchange. |
Polar bears are the only bear classified as a marine mammal. They have a closed circulatory system, just like humans. As a marine mammal they need the ability to swim under water for long periods of time. Their blood cells hold more oxygen to make this possible. They also have dilated blood vessels to accommodate more blood flow to endure the frigid arctic temperatures.
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