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Message text written by "WILLIAMS, TERRY R"
"
-----Original Message-----
From: WILLIAMS, TERRY R
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:52 AM
To: ehoyt@cs.com
Subject: Whale breathing
Dear Expert,
In a recent conversation regarding whales breathing two terms were used to
describe the process... One was "blow" or "blowing" and the other was
"venting".
The dictionary actually mentions whales under blow and does not mention
whales under venting. There are numerous articles where one author uses
blow and another uses vent.
Venting seems to be more correct, since blowing is only one half of the
action that must be taken in providing fresh air to the lungs.
Can you clarify?
Thank you,
R. Terry Williams
rwilliams@venturafoods.com
"
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Blowing, spouting and venting are all the same thing and refer specifically
to the expiration. Blowing is most commonly used by whale researchers to
describe this, but venting is not inaccurate, in the sense that it means
"to release or discharge (as in steam) through an opening" (American
Heritage Dictionary).
Actually, blowing may be more properly described as 1/3 of the process of
breathing. The 2002 Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Academic Press) has an
article on "Blowing" p. 105. The complete breathing cycle is said to
consist of "a very rapid expiration or blow, immediately followed by a
slightly longer and much less obvious inspiration, and then an extended yet
variable period of breath holding, or apnea."
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