HOW MUCH FOOD IS A SHARK NEEDED? Most sharks have jaws that are not solidly connected to the skull as often happens in the rest of the animals. Conversely, shark jaws are subject to the skull by muscles and ligaments. When ready to eat, shark jaws can push down and outward to adopt an almost vertical opening. This feature allows the shark catch food from a vertical position, even if the mouth is below the muzzle. The jaws of some sharks can exert a pressure of 19 tons per 2.45 cm2, compared to 68 kilos per 2.45 cm2 of human bite.

1. HOW MUCH FOOD IS A SHARK NEEDED?
Most sharks have jaws that are not solidly connected to the skull as often happens in the rest of the
animals. Conversely, shark jaws are subject to the skull by muscles and ligaments. When ready to eat,
shark jaws can push down and outward to adopt an almost vertical opening. This feature allows the
shark catch food from a vertical position, even if the mouth is below the muzzle. The jaws of some
sharks can exert a pressure of 19 tons per 2.45 cm2, compared to 68 kilos per 2.45 cm2 of human bite.
All living organisms need oxygen to survive. Fish absorb oxygen from the water through gills and shark
blood transports it to the cells distributed throughout the body of the shark.
All living organisms need oxygen to survive, as it is the oxygen that gives life to the body's cells. Humans
absorb oxygen from the air through the lungs, while the sharks absorb water through the gills.
On each side of the shark's head, right in front of the pectoral fins, lie five to seven gills, each with an
aperture or slit outwards. When the shark swims, water enters the mouth, passes through the gills and
out the gill slits, which have filaments called lamellae. The capillaries and blood vessels of the gills
absorb oxygen from the water and shark blood transports it to cells throughout the body. Finally, carbon
dioxide leaves the body through gill slits.
Most sharks must swim constantly to keep the water circulating through the gills. This is what happens
with pelagic sharks. However, some species that live near the ocean bottom can breathe without having
to swim through the rhythmic contractions of the muscles that control the gills and pump water into
them.
Once the shark has swallowed the food, it goes to the stomach where digestive enzymes crumble. From
here, the food passes into the intestine where it is absorbed as nutrients for the body of the shark.
It is said that the gastric juices of sharks are so strong that corrode stainless steel. It is not known to
what extent this statement may be true, but what we do know is that sharks are able to digest some
things that humans cannot, among which are animal hair, bones and cartilage.
The ability to digest food sharks is a feat, considering the size of the meals and how to eat. The shark
eats about 3 to 5 percent of the total weight of their body, so that a shark of 500 kilos could consume
between 15 and 25 kilos at every meal. Sharks cannot chew their food, so they swallow it whole or in
large pieces bite that may pass through the throat.
After swallowing, food passes into the esophagus, located in the back of the mouth, and then the
stomach. Digestive enzymes are produced in the gallbladder, pancreas and liver are comminuted food
and digested is directed to the intestine where it is absorbed.
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