What takes up 50 70 percent of a whales weight? - ProProfs Discuss
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What takes up 50-70 percent of a whales weight?

Asked by Alfred Hook, Last updated: Apr 22, 2024

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Samantha Stewart

Samantha Stewart

Love to do some charity work. Have a passion for writing and do it in my spare time

Samantha Stewart
Samantha Stewart, Philanthropist, Post Graduate, Corpus Christi

Answered Feb 18, 2021

The part of a whale that takes up to 50-70 percent of its actual weight is "Blubber." It is a fatty layer of adipose tissue that is found immediately beneath the skin of most marine mammals. Although blubber covers almost all the entire part of marine mammals, it does not cover the flippers, flukes, and fins.

The presence of blubber in marine mammals serves so many roles. It is an important part of whales, as it helps them store energy. The thick layer of blubber makes it to be effective in storing energy. The energy in blubber is in form of proteins and fats.

Collagen is the most form of protein stored as energy in blubber, while lipids are the most common forms of fats stored in blubber. The huge amount of energy stored in blubber is the reason why whales can survive long periods of time without eating. The presence of blubber in whales allows them to keep their bodies warm even while in a very cold environment.

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C. Bernthal

C. Bernthal

Its kind of my job to give answers

C. Bernthal
C. Bernthal, Teacher, MA, P.hD, Seattle

Answered Feb 18, 2021

50 to 70 percent of the whale’s weight is going to be composed of blubber. Are you familiar with what blubber is? This is the thick layer of vascularized adipose tissues under the skin of the whale. Blubber is known to be something that will cover the different bodies of mammals.

This is just more obvious on whales because they are the largest creatures on earth. Take note that this is a part of any marine mammal’s body. This is in charge of storing enough energy. It will also insulate the heat and make sure buoyancy will be properly increased. The blubber will manipulate the blood vessels of the body to help the whale stay warm.

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Robert Hazlewood

Robert Hazlewood

Here to relax my mind a bit

Robert Hazlewood
Robert Hazlewood, Senior Executive, MBA, Louisville

Answered Feb 16, 2021

Blubber is the correct answer to this question. Blubber also goes known by the name of adipose tissue. Blubber is a thick fat. Marine mammals such as seals and whales have blubber under their skin. Blubber will appear all over the skin except the fins, flukes, and flippers. Though it also a layer of skin, it has many different types of functions.

One of those other functions that blubber has is that it insulates mammals. This is important especially for marine mammals that live in icy waters. The blubber helps keep the mammals warm. Blubber is also responsible for storing energy for the mammal, which is important if the mammal is not able to find food.

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E. Dixon

E. Dixon

E. Dixon
E. Dixon

Answered Feb 15, 2021

The correct answer to this question is Blubber. The average weight of a whale is 180 tons. This converts over to 360,000 pounds. When it comes to the blubber of the whale, it is the most important part. Depending on the species of the whale and where the whale resides, the blubber could vary in thickness, including one inch to eleven inches.

Blubber gives the whale proper insulation. It helps protect the whale's organs from injury. It also protects the whales from the environment, and it stores the whale's energy. Other large parts of the whale that attribute to the weight include the brain, tail, and fins.

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E. Barnes

E. Barnes

E. Barnes
E. Barnes

Answered Feb 12, 2021

The correct answer to this question is Blubber. The average weight of a whale is 180 tons. This converts over to 360,000 pounds. When it comes to the blubber of the whale, it is the most important part. Depending on the species of the whale and where the whale resides, the blubber could vary in thickness, including one inch to eleven inches.

Blubber gives the whale proper insulation. It helps protect the whale's organs from injury. It also protects the whales from the environment, and it stores the whale's energy. Other large parts of the whale that attribute to the weight include the brain, tail, and fins.

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J. Shatner

J. Shatner

J. Shatner
J. Shatner, Content writer, Boston

Answered Feb 12, 2021

Blubber is the central fat storage in particular mammals, especially those that live in water. It is particularly imperative for species that feed and breed in different parts of the ocean. Blubber is a layer of stored fat beneath the skin and above the muscles.

It adds buoyancy while swimming, and it also serves as an efficient thermal insulator of heat. This special layer is the only thing keeping whales from freezing, and it makes up 50% of the whale's weight. Whales also utilize their blubber to store up energy for future use.

Some species with blubber will feed heavily for half the year when food is easy to obtain, and the remainder of the year, they live off their built-up blubber layer.

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H. Barnes

H. Barnes

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H. Barnes
H. Barnes, Unemployed, Barnes, Atlanta

Answered Jun 13, 2019

The correct answer to this question is blubber. Also known as adipose tissue, blubber is thick fat. All marine mammals, like whales and seals, have it under their skin. The only place it won't appear is on their flukes, flippers, and fins. Blubber is not only just a layer of skin, but it has many essential functions. For one, it insulates the mammals.

Marine mammals live in icy waters, so the blubber keeps them warm. Another feature is that it stores energy. This is important because the mammals won't have to search for food for a long time, being that they already have a source.

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Robert Hazlewood

Robert Hazlewood

Here to relax my mind a bit

Robert Hazlewood
Robert Hazlewood, Senior Executive, MBA, Louisville

Answered May 23, 2019

Whales can weigh up to 180 tons, which is 360,000 pounds and at least 50% of that weight is attributed to fat. That is a lot of fat for an animal; however, the blubber is an essential piece of the entire whale. Depending upon the species and what part of the earth they populate the blubber factor can be anywhere from one inch to eleven or so inches thick.

Blubber on a whale provides the animal with the proper insulation protecting their organs from injury, the environment, and energy storage. The brain, fins, and tale take part of the weight, along with their organs. Whales float because of their high percentage of lipids, which the blubber contains along with the fat.

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Alfred Hook

Alfred Hook

Alfred Hook
Alfred Hook

Answered Sep 10, 2018

Blubber
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