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You are here: Home / Your Body / Why Can’t You Breathe Underwater?

Why Can’t You Breathe Underwater?

March 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

You breathe in oxygen from the air. There is oxygen in water too, but the human body cannot take this oxygen from the water. If you tried to take a breath underwater, your lungs would quickly fill up with water and you wouldn’t be able to breathe.

Fish and other sea creatures, however, can breathe underwater. They have organs called gills which enable them to take oxygen from the water. But if a fish is taken out of water, its gills dry out and it cannot breathe.

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  • Can a Baby Bird Breathe Inside Its Egg?
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Filed Under: Your Body

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Is Air Important to Your Body Cells?
Next Post: What Must You Do To Stay Alive? »

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