Where Do Camels Store Their Water? | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Camels have evolved evolutionary adaptations such as a specialized stomach, resilient blood cells, and efficient water conservation methods to survive in the desert.

Key Insights

• 🐫 Camels store fat in their humps, allowing them to survive for up to two weeks without water.
• 💦 Camels' first stomach, the rumen, gradually releases water into their bloodstream, preventing rapid dilution of their blood.
• 🔺 The small and oval-shaped red blood cells of camels can swell without bursting and help them flow through tight spaces.
• 🥵 Camels have a higher body temperature threshold for sweating, helping them conserve water and energy.
• 💦 Camels' kidneys and large intestines are highly efficient, resulting in minimal water loss through excretions.
• 👻 Camels' blood does not become thicker or clumpy when concentrated or moving slowly, allowing it to flow smoothly.
• 🥵 Camels absorb heat during the day and cool off at night to conserve water.

Transcript

this episode of scishow is supported by brilliant to learn more about their math fundamentals course you can go to brilliant org slash scishow when humans head out into the desert we pack as much food and water as we can carry for obvious reasons camels also stock up on rations they pack their humps full of fat so they don't go hungry and since the... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do camels retain water in their bodies without a specialized storage organ?

Camels have a first stomach called the rumen that gradually releases water into their bloodstream over several hours, preventing rapid dilution of their blood.

Q: What makes camels' blood cells resilient and well-suited for surviving with little water?

Camels have small and oval-shaped red blood cells that can swell without bursting, allowing them to lose up to a third of their body weight in water without harm.

Q: How do camels conserve water by not sweating?

Camels have a higher body temperature threshold for sweating compared to other mammals, only sweating when their body temperature reaches 42 degrees Celsius. This helps them conserve water and energy in the desert.

Q: What are some other water conservation adaptations of camels?

Camels have efficient kidneys and large intestines that conserve water, resulting in minimal water loss through excretions.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Camels can survive in the desert for up to two weeks without water by storing fat in their humps and are skilled at retaining water when they have access to it.

• They do not have a specialized storage organ for water but have a first stomach that gradually releases water into their bloodstream, preventing rapid dilution of their blood.

• Camels have small and oval-shaped red blood cells that can swell without bursting, helping them flow through tight spaces and survive with minimal water.