A Wonderleaf question
How do fish breathe underwater?
a real page from the book
Fish breathe underwater with gills, not lungs. They pull water in through the mouth and move it across delicate gill surfaces, where oxygen from the water passes into the blood and carbon dioxide moves out. Gills are their water-breathing equipment.
The clever part is the huge folded surface hidden beside the head. It gives water and blood plenty of close contact, so even the small amount of oxygen dissolved in water can be gathered. Watch a resting fish: its mouth and gill covers still pulse.
Wonder words
- gills
- oxygen
- filaments
- current
Try it out
At dinner, breathe through your nose while slowly opening and closing your hands like gill covers moving water.
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