Hi, so for my biology class we have to create a podcast about research done arou

Question

Hi, so for my biology class we have to create a podcast about research done around the field of animal physiology. I found several papers explaining some of the adaptations of the bar-headed goose under hypoxic conditions, which allow them to fly at such high altitudes. The goal of this podcast is to "highlight the benefits of taxpayer-funded, discovery-based research in the field of animal physiology."

What I found for this single researcher was that:

-The bar-headed goose has moved its mitochondria in the muscle cells closer to the sarcolemma region (and hence closer to capillaries), which decreases the distance in which oxygen must travel to enter into the mitochondria.

-Has a larger lung and the left ventricle is much more vascularized compared to other lowland birds.

-bar-headed geese breathe more deeply rather than increasing their breathing frequency

So with this in mind, I cannot come up with a good "selling point" onto how this is beneficial to taxpayers. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Somehow have to relate this to everyday problems.

Explanation / Answer

Bar-headed geese can be found at high elevations. They use habitats like mountain grasslands and crop fields from surrounding villages. Bar-headed geese tend to use freshwater marshes, lakes, and streams that are around elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 meters above sea level as stop-over and over-wintering sites.This species is named for the obvious black U-shaped bars on the back of the white head.Bar-headed geese have a basal metabolic rate of 756 cubic centimeters of oxygen per hour.

They can survive at high altitudes because they have a higher density of capillaries that are spaced closer together this allows them to deliver more oxygen to their muscles, in particular their flight muscles. In addition to their capillaries they also have hemoglobin in their blood that is more efficient at taking in oxygen. Another adaptation is that these geese tend to live in large colonies or smaller family groups which enhances predator detection.

These geese benefit humans because of ecotourism to the wildlife areas that they use as refueling stops during their migrations.

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