Tag Archives: lungs

Update on dissection and findings

The whale has now been completed dissected and the organs such as intestine, kidneys and heart, are being preserved in a formalin solution. the bones are being flensed (stripped of muscle). The stomach content revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

Dr Joy Reidenberg is now in the process of investigating respiratory tract. Above you can see the lungs and Dr Reidenberg is holding up the laryngeal sac which is different to other animals in that it sits off to the side instead in the middle.

Lungs and heart

Above is a picture of the Pygmy right whale lung, it’s about 45cm long when stretched out like it is below. The lungs sit under the backbone of the whale and isn’t divided into lobes like human lungs are.

The scientists told me that they think it’s smaller than usual in a whale of this size.

The heart is in perfect shape – it actually looked like a Valentine’s heart especially when it was lifted out – see below.

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