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Multiple Choice
Which of the following is a key difference between whales and fish?
A
Whales use gills for respiration, while fish use lungs.
B
Whales are mammals and breathe air using lungs, while fish are not mammals and use gills to extract oxygen from water.
C
Whales have scales covering their bodies, while fish have smooth skin.
D
Whales lay eggs in water, while fish give birth to live young.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Begin by identifying the key biological classification of whales and fish. Whales are mammals, which means they share characteristics such as breathing air using lungs, giving live birth, and having hair at some stage of their life cycle. Fish, on the other hand, are not mammals; they are aquatic vertebrates that use gills to extract oxygen from water and typically lay eggs.
Step 2: Examine the respiratory systems of whales and fish. Whales, as mammals, have lungs and must surface to breathe air. Fish, however, have gills that allow them to extract dissolved oxygen directly from water, making their respiratory systems fundamentally different.
Step 3: Consider the reproductive methods of whales and fish. Whales give birth to live young, a characteristic of mammals, while most fish lay eggs in water, which is typical of their reproductive strategy.
Step 4: Analyze the external body coverings of whales and fish. Whales have smooth skin and may have a layer of hair during certain stages of development, while fish are covered in scales, which serve as protection and aid in movement through water.
Step 5: Summarize the key differences based on the observations above: Whales are mammals that breathe air using lungs, give live birth, and have smooth skin, while fish are not mammals, use gills for respiration, lay eggs, and have scales covering their bodies.