Respiratory Adaptations in different altitudes
Animals respiratory systems have to change when living in different altitudes, these changes can be temporary or permanent depending on the animal. These changes can be the red blood cell count, the animals blood pressure and the lung capacity of the animal. In this article you will see the comparison of two different animals in opposite altitudes and how their respiratory systems have adapted because of these reasons, these two animals will be the Llama (Llama glama) and the Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
The Llama is commonly used in studies of hypoxic stress and respiratory adaptations because of their ability to live and survive in high altitudes. Llamas have gone through a lot of physiological adaptations for the decrease in oxygen pressure, In an oxygen dissociation curve the Llama shows a shift to the left in comparison with other similar lowland animals.
This shift to the left in the curve therfore means that the Llama can more easily obtain oxygen from a low pressure environment, therfore allowing them to live in high altitudes. Research suggests that the Llamas use erythrocytes with high haemoglobin concentrations and this aids in the extraction of oxygen. Llamas have also showed an increased affinity for oxygen due to them living in an environment with lower concentations. Llamas have adapted so that they have more red blood cells per unit of blood than any other mammals, the haemoglobin in the blood that carries oxygen has also developed so that it reacts faster with oxygen. The Llamas lungs also have more air sacks and blood vessels, and the heart has larger chambers, this allows the Llama to pump more blood around the body giving it a more effective respiratory and circulatory system.
The Deermouse however, is populates the majority of the united states living succesfully in both high and low altitudes. It inhabits the widest range of altitudes of any North American mammal and has a large degree of genetic variation for haemoglobin. In a study the deermice at high altitudes showed a higher affinity for oxygen. This is a similar trend to that of the llama living in high altitudes, both shift to the left, however it is important that the curve doesnt shift too far to the left as this could result in oxygen not being released to the tissues.
Due to these adaptations the respiratory systems of these two animals that can live in high altitudes are very similar. They both have a higher count of red blood cells, more air sacs and blood vessels in their lungs and faster reacting haemoglobin, so that oxygen can be processed faster. However in the deermouse this can change and adapt depending on which altitude habitat the deermouse lives in as it can survive in a large variety of altitudes.