Belly buttons

From: Phil Clapham (phillip.clapham@noaa.gov)
Date: Thu Sep 05 2002 - 07:57:11 EDT

  • Next message: Phil Clapham: "Do whales eat plankton or krill??"

    Hi:

    > Do whales have belly buttons?I need this for school.

    Yep, they do. The technical term for the belly button is the
    "umbilicus", and as you probably know it's what's left over after you're
    born when the umbilical cord is cut. Whales, being mammals, have the
    same system: during pregnancy, the fetus is connected to its mom via the
    umbilical cord, which allows the transfer of nutrients and stuff to the
    developing baby.

    A whale's belly button is of course a lot bigger than yours, but it
    doesn't usually accumulate lint...

    Good luck with your school work!

    Phil Clapham
     
     
     
    Ashley Kmon 

    -- 
 

    Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D.
Large Whale Biology Program
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
166 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543, U.S.A.

    tel. 508 495-2316
fax 508 495-2066
email: pclapham@whsun1.wh.whoi.edu

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Sep 05 2002 - 19:19:59 EDT