Animekid15
New member
How Come A Snakes Heart and Lungs And Other Vital Organs Dont Get in the Way When It Eats?
Just Curious Any Response Will Be Great
Just Curious Any Response Will Be Great
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Just a Quick Question
- Thread starter Animekid15
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Animekid15
New member
No Takers Ah Well See Yall Round
Chip
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒ&
Wait just a minute, Ani-kid!
I didn't see this one in the week you waited in between postings! I haven't done a "proper" snake necropsy since college, but here goes...
The short answer, they are adapted to eat very large meals.
Long answer:
Snake's bodies have organs adapted to fit into it's elongate shape. Likewise, their bodies are marvel examples of fitting food items much larger in diameter than their own bodies. Besides the ability of their jaw bones to accomodate large "morsels", many other organs are in operation during feeding/digesting. The organs of a snake's digestive system are long, peristalic action is weak, so the muscles of the body push food back toward the stomach. You've probably seen them "pose" to push the food down. The heart is a small organ, and one lung (I'm almost sure it's the left) is basically vestigal and tiny. Most organs are covered and seperated form others by a membrane (for example, plural cavity) so it isn't as if the mouse is pushing right up against the heart or lung. The stomach is equipt with many longitudinal folds to give them the capacity of expansion. Likewise, the skin in between each scale is elastic enough to allow for that. Once the meal reaches the stomach, there is no other organ "in the way". It isn't until the food reaches the small intestine that it would press against other organs (gall bladder, etc) but it is in a rather liquid state by then. Don't use this information to write a term paper, you'll probably get a B-minus, but it should be accurate enough to answer your question!
I didn't see this one in the week you waited in between postings! I haven't done a "proper" snake necropsy since college, but here goes...
The short answer, they are adapted to eat very large meals.
Long answer:
Snake's bodies have organs adapted to fit into it's elongate shape. Likewise, their bodies are marvel examples of fitting food items much larger in diameter than their own bodies. Besides the ability of their jaw bones to accomodate large "morsels", many other organs are in operation during feeding/digesting. The organs of a snake's digestive system are long, peristalic action is weak, so the muscles of the body push food back toward the stomach. You've probably seen them "pose" to push the food down. The heart is a small organ, and one lung (I'm almost sure it's the left) is basically vestigal and tiny. Most organs are covered and seperated form others by a membrane (for example, plural cavity) so it isn't as if the mouse is pushing right up against the heart or lung. The stomach is equipt with many longitudinal folds to give them the capacity of expansion. Likewise, the skin in between each scale is elastic enough to allow for that. Once the meal reaches the stomach, there is no other organ "in the way". It isn't until the food reaches the small intestine that it would press against other organs (gall bladder, etc) but it is in a rather liquid state by then. Don't use this information to write a term paper, you'll probably get a B-minus, but it should be accurate enough to answer your question!
CornCrazy
What's one more???
You are right...it is the left lung that is small.
Here is a diagram that I found on the net at the following site:
www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/snake.htm
Here is a diagram that I found on the net at the following site:
www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/snake.htm
