Table of Contents
What do tubercles do?
In the human skeleton, a tubercle or tuberosity is a protrusion that serves as an attachment for skeletal muscles. The muscles attach by tendons, where the enthesis is the connective tissue between the tendon and bone.
What are tubercles on a whale?
The bumps on the rostrum, or head, and the pectoral fins of a humpback whale are, in fact, hair follicles. Called “tubercles,” these fist-sized bumps contain one hair follicle each, connected to a set of sensitive nerves.

Why do humpback whales have ridges?
A Humpback whale can have anywhere between 14-35 of these pleats along its neck. The grooves have an important function, to help increase the volume of the mouth area and therefore the amount of potential food these creatures can get in one gulp.

What causes tubercles to form?
The infection is spread like a cold, mainly through airborne droplets breathed into the air by a person infected with TB. The bacteria causes formation of small tissue masses called tubercles. In the lungs these tubercles produce breathing impairment, coughing and release of sputum.
Where are tubercles found?
Ribs. On a rib, tubercle is an eminence on the back surface, at the junction between the neck and the body of the rib. It consists of an articular and a non-articular area.
Why do whales have blowholes?
They cannot breathe underwater like fish can as they do not have gills. They breathe through nostrils, called a blowhole, located right on top of their heads. This allows them to take breaths by exposing just the top of their heads to the air while they are swimming or resting under the water.
Why do humpbacks have barnacles?
In the case of barnacles and whales, only the barnacles benefit from attaching to the whales, but at no biological cost to the whale. This type of symbiotic relationship is known as commensalism. In this case, attaching to the whales gives the barnacles a stable place to live, a free ride, and access to plenty of food.
Can you remove barnacles from whales?
As barnacles do not seem to cause any lasting damage to whales, it is not necessary to remove them. The only situation in which they must be removed is if there are too many barnacles clinging to whales, which can cause skin irritation.
How do you know if you have tuberculosis?
Signs and symptoms of active TB include:
- Coughing for three or more weeks.
- Coughing up blood or mucus.
- Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing.
- Unintentional weight loss.
- Fatigue.
- Fever.
- Night sweats.
- Chills.
How do u know if u have TB?
The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.
What do tubercles consist of?
A tubercle usually consists of a centre of dead cells and tissues, cheeselike (caseous) in appearance, in which can be found many bacilli. This centre is surrounded by radially arranged phagocytic (scavenger) cells and a periphery containing connective tissue cells.
What is a tubercle in aviation?
Tubercles can be thought of as small delta wings with a curved apex, since they create a vortex on the upper edge of the tubercle. These vortical structures impose a downward deflection of the airflow (downwash) over the crests of tubercles. This downward deflection delays stall on the airfoil.
Do wing leading edge tubercles affect aerodynamic characteristics of UAVs?
The influence of wing leading edge tubercles on the aerodynamic characteristics (lift, drag, pitching moment and lift to drag ratio) of a typical UAV at Reynolds number of 0.18 million is shown in Figs.
What is the effect of tubercles on flow?
The geometry of tubercles must also be considered, as the amplitude and wavelength of tubercles have an effect on flow control. Tubercles can be thought of as small delta wings with a curved apex, since they create a vortex on the upper edge of the tubercle.
What are tubercles in animals?
Tubercles are a material phenomenon that occurs in multiple organisms. These organisms include the humpback whale, hammerhead sharks, scallops, and chondrichthyans, an extinct aquatic organism. One organism that tubercles are notable in is the humpback whale.