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For other uses, see .
Whale blubber
Blubber is a thick layer of
found under the skin of all ,
fiber-laced blubber comprises the
and covers the whole body, except for parts of the appendages, strongly attached to the musculature and skeleton by highly organized, fan-shaped networks of
and . It can comprise up to 50% of the body mass of some
during some points in their lives, and can range from 2 inches (5 cm) thick in dolphins and smaller whales, to more than 12 inches (30 cm) thick in some bigger whales, such as
and . However, this is not indicative of larger whales' ability to retain heat better, as the thickness of a whale's blubber does not significantly affect heat loss. More indicative of a whale's ability to retain heat is the water and lipid concentration in blubber, as water reduces heat-retaining capacities, and lipid increases them.
Blubber is the primary storage location of fat on some . It is particularly important for species that feed and breed in different parts of the ocean. During these periods, the animals
fat. Blubber may save energy for marine mammals such as dolphins, in that it adds buoyancy to a dolphin while swimming.
Blubber differs from other forms of
in its extra thickness, which allows it to serve as an efficient thermal , making blubber essential for . Blubber is more vascularized—rich in —than other adipose tissue.
Blubber has advantages over fur (as in ) in the respect that although fur can retain heat by holding pockets of air, the air pockets will be expelled under pressure (while diving). Blubber, however, does not compress under pressure. It is effective enough that some whales can dwell in temperatures as low as 40 °F (4 °C). While diving in cold water, blood vessels covering the blubber constrict and decrease blood flow, thus increasing blubber's efficiency as an insulator.
Blubber aids , and streamlines the body because the organized, complex collagenous network supports the noncircular cross sections characteristic of cetaceans.
Research into the
of 's blubber reveals its thickness and lipid content vary greatly amongst individuals and across life history categories. Blubber from emaciated dolphins is a poorer insulator than that from nonpregnant adults, which in turn have a higher heat conductivity than blubber from pregnant females and adolescents.
Uqhuq or uqsuq, ("blubber" in the
language) formed an important part of the traditional diets of the
and of other northern peoples because of its high energy value and availability. Seal blubber contains large amounts of , , and other , which may[] reduce the effect of the
formed within the body's cells. (Damage caused to cells by free radicals is a theorized[] contributor to oxidative diseases.) Whale blubber, which tastes like arrowroot biscuits, has similar properties. The positive effects of consuming blu in
for example, a hunting district with 3,000 residents, no deaths due to
occurred in the 1970s. However, emigrants to
have contracted the same diseases as the rest of the Danish population. The average 70-year-old Inuit with a traditional diet of whale and seal has arteries as elastic as those of a 20-year-old resident of Denmark.
largely targeted the collection of blubber: whalers
in , or later, in vats on . The oil could serve in the manufacture of soap, leather, and cosmetics. Whale oil was used in candles as wax, and in
can yield a blubber harvest of up to 50 tons.
Blubber from whales and seals contains
and . Without the vitamin D, for example, the Inuit and other natives of the Arctic would likely suffer from . There is evidence blubber and other fats in the arctic diet also provide the calories needed to replace the lack of carbohydrates found in the diets of cultures in the rest of the world.
Blubber contains , carcinogens that damage human nervous, immune and reproductive systems. The source of PCB concentrations is unknown. Since toothed whales are high on the , they likely consume large amounts of industrial pollutants (). Even , by merit of the huge amount of food they consume, are bound to have toxic chemicals stored in their bodies. There are high levels of
in the blubber of seals of the .
(whale blubber and skin as consumed in the North American and East Siberian Arctic)
Struntz, D.J.; McLellan, W.A.; Dillaman, R.M.; Blum, J.E.; Kucklick, J.R.; Pabst, D.A. (2004). "Blubber development in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)". Journal of Morphology 259 (1): 7–20. :.  .
Kvadsheim, P.H.; Folkow, L.P.; Blix, A.S. (1996). "Thermal conductivity of minke whale blubber". Journal of Thermal Biology 21 (2): 123–8. :.
. Science Update. AAAS.
Don Galbraith et al. Biology 11. (Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson). pg. 12.
Dunkin, R. C. (2005). "The ontogenetic changes in the thermal properties of blubber from Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus". Journal of Experimental Biology 208 (8): 1469–80. :.  .
Ohokak, G.; M. K B. Harnum.
(PDF). Kitikmeot Heritage Society 2013.
Stefansson, E Adriaensen, Arxontis (1893). Mission?rer bland Eskim?er [Missionaries Among the Eskimos]. Uppdrag i V?rlden (in Swedish). G?teborg: Himmelriket p? Jorden Publikationer. p. 138.
. Archived from
Donovan, Greg (2008). "Whaling". Microsoft Encarta.
"Cetacean". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite. 2008.
Kuhnlein, H.V.; Barthet, V.; Farren, A.; Falahi, E.; Leggee, D.; Receveur, O.; Berti, P. (2006). "Vitamins A, D, and E in Canadian Arctic traditional food and adult diets". Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 19 (6–7): 495–506. :.
Teuten, E. L.; Xu, L; Reddy, CM (2005). "Two Abundant Bioaccumulated Halogenated Compounds Are Natural Products". Science 307 (5711): 917–20. :.  .
– ScienceDaily (February 18, 2005).
. BBC News. .
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