h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is physically impossible for a shark to vomit underwater.

There.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Ask h2g2' to 'Miscellaneous Chat'.

'It is physically impossible for a shark to vomit underwater.'

Unfortunately there were some grammatical problems with the original post. It starts 'Is it.....', implying that this is a question. Unfortunately there is a '?' missing at the end of the sentence.

Consequence.

'This conversation has been moved from 'Ask h2g2' to 'Miscellaneous Chat'.'

(Please note that this is a tongue in cheek post. All criticism appearing in this post are tongue in cheek. Any resemblance to criticism of real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnfKmNRfLYU

PP.

Warning... useful information: http://scuba.about.com/od/divemedicinesafety/p/Can-You-Vomit-Underwater-While-Scuba-Diving.htm

TL;DR Yes, you can vomit underwater.

Ah, but I said a shark. Sharks don't have artificial respirator valves.

But sharks are quite clever. If they lack one organ, perhaps another one that they *do* have will adapt itself to the occasion. Do they have stomachs? Stomachs have been known to expel their contents. I know mine has on occasion.

Because you're an air breather. Vomitting requires lungs. It's physically impossible for ANYTHING with gills to vomit under OR over water.

How does vomiting require lungs? Vomiting is the forceful, involuntary expulsion of one's stomach contents through the mouth and sometimes the nose. The lungs are involved only in that the esophagus i involved and normally the passage to the lungs is involuntarily closed (gag reflex) while vomiting. Plenty of fish and other sea creatures vomit, some do so as a defense mechanism. Some sharks can even expel their entire stomachs while vomiting.

What has vomiting got to do with lungs? Surely it's caused by contractions of the muscles around the stomach?

fixing thread title.


I wish when a thread is moved the original title is kept with [Thread Moved] appended to the end.

Even Ask H2G2 is capable of regurgitating.

Today I learned there is a difference between regurgitating and vomiting. Regurgitating is just stomach contents returning up the esophagus to the mouth. Vomiting is the forceful, involuntary expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth (and nose).

In the words of Alan Swan (Peter O'Toole) from My Favorite Year, "Ladies are unwell, Stone. Gentlemen vomit."

So the difference is that one is involuntary, then? I know that that before vomiting, the brain turns on the salivary glands to protect the mouth from the acidity of the stomach contents.

Clever, clever brain! It does that without conscious thinking.