A Weddell seal, a deep-sea diving mammal, has special adaptations that enable it to respire for long periods under water without inhaling air. Three such adaptations are given below. P) When diving, the blood flow to all parts of the seal's body is reduced by 80-95%, except for a closed circuit between the lungs, heart and brain. Q) 70% of the oxygen in the seal's body is stored in the blood (in hemoglobin), as compared to just 51% in humans. R) 25% of the oxygen in the seal's body is stored in the muscles (in myoglobin), as compared to just 13% in humans. In 1980, a group of scientists carried out an experiment to understand how a Weddell seal respires under water during dives of different durations. After each dive completed by the seal, they measured the concentration of lactic acid in the seal's blood. The graph below represents the data obtained by the scientists. (a) Based on the graph, what can be inferred about the CHANGE in the respiration happening in the seal's body after 20 minutes under water? Justify your answer. (b) Adaptation R helps the seal the most to produce energy for SWIMMING during the first 20 minutes of a dive. Explain why adaptations P and Q do not help as much.

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CASE_STUDIESAerobic RespirationAnaerobic RespirationBreakdown of Glucose in Respiration2 sub-questions