Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Why don't fish freeze to death?

A human would freeze in the sea, why don't fish?

Do they not even feel uncomfortably cold in the sea?

4 Answers

Relevance
  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Human beings don't necessarily freeze to death, but we can indeed die of hypothermia if our body temperature drops to lethal levels in water that is cold but not necessarily frozen. For example, most of the victims of the Titanic did not drown, nor did they freeze, but the water was so cold that they died of hypothermia. If our body temperature falls below 20 deg. C or about 68 deg. F, then we may die because of major organ failure. The biochemical processes and enzymes in our body evolved to operate at a fairly constant 35-37 deg. C. If our body temperature falls much below that, then the biochemical processes and enzymes will no longer work, and our major organs will be starved of oxygen and nutrients, causing them to fail.

    In contrast, many fishes evolved to operate at low temperatures, and even tropical fish will function perfectly at about room temperature or 25 deg. C, a temperature that will cause severe hypothermia in humans and most mammals that do not hibernate. Some fish inhabit colder waters, and they are well adapted to operate at temperatures as low as a few degrees C. However, most fish will indeed freeze if put in icy waters. Some fish, however, have anti-freeze compounds in their blood, so they can remain unfrozen even at freezing temperatures.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    What each individual is asserting about the biking is extremely significant, yet I do could scoff fairly at a number of of the frilly plans for paying for fish domicile. I stay in Alaska, so i do comprehend these paintings no be counted how chilly it fairly is. deliver about 2 or 3 paper baggage which include you will carry a sack lunch in and a headband. you could seize a touch hand heater - the variety you collapse and that they warmth? - if you're strolling. Wrap the bag of water interior the headband, slip in baggage, upload heater if desire be, and additionally you're set. fairly, if you're purely going from keep to motor vehicle and domicile, you absolutely could no longer desire something extra than the brown paper bag. that is completely stable insulation.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    8 years ago

    Actually, fish are warm-blooded, but they contain antifreeze proteins in their blood and have a specially developed body plan and blood vessel layout to minimize heat loss.

    The proteins in their body are adapted to work at lower temperatures than ours.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    They are 'cold-blooded' and don't need to be warm to live. Not sure about dolphins and whales (mammals).

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.