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Barnacle Boy

ndebruyne11
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Barnacle Boy
Anatomy of a superhero
by Nicole DeBruyne and Anna Waked
BARNACLE BOY'S ORIGIN STORY
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man
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Being a superhero has certain difficulties because some of Barnacle Boy's biological systems underwent changes during his transformation and are compromised by his underwater living situation.
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Biological Difficulties
Underwater Pressure
Deep-diving can result in mechanical distortion and tissue compression, especially in gas-filled spaces in the body, such as the middle ear cavity, air sinuses in the head, and the lungs.
Water Loss
He would lose too much water through osmosis because he would constantly be in a hypertonic solution (the ocean). This would be a problem because he could shrivel up and die.
Low Temperature
Undersea temperatures can get very low and any animal without sufficient insulation or metabolic processes would freeze to death.
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Solutions: Pressure
 Lungs 
   
   
 Barnacles fill lungs 
          
     
Lungs dissolve over time Can breathe underwater
 
 Inner Ear Cavity 
   
   
 Lined with an extensive venous plexus 
   
   
 Become engorged at depths 
          
     
Reduces air space Makes his ears look puffy and weird
 
 Bones and Structure 
   
   
 Barnacles cover themselves with calcium-hard plates 
          
     
Calcite integrates into his skeletal system Prevents lungs from collapsing under pressure
   
   
Strengthens bones to withstand pressure 
 
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Solutions: Water Loss
Barnacle DNA enhanced the expression of the CYP3A5 gene
   
   
Produces a very effective protein that increases salt retention
   
   
Creates a more equal balance of concentration inside and outside the cells
   
   
Less water lost through osmosis
 
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Solutions: Low Temperatures
High metabolism Barnacles in chest cavity can filter feed Gets fatter as he ages
       
       
Uses energy more effectively Two sources of energy Provides greater insulation to retain heat
 
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Lung Cavity Diagram
Barnacle sheet inside chest cavity
X-ray image of Barnacle Boy's chest cavity.  It illustrates how the barnacles forced into him by Mermaid Man filled his lungs.
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Inner Ear Diagram
The venous plexus located within the inner ear is a collection of veins that swell at deep ocean depths and reduce the amount of air space to combat the large amounts of pressure.
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CYP3A5 Gene
This gene, located on chromosome seven, encodes a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes. It is expressed in the prostate and the liver, as well as in the epithelium of the small intestine and large intestine for uptake of materials.
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