hypoxic

Jason Somarelli, an assistant professor at Duke and researcher on this project, explained in an email that his team is studying whether whales may have lost some genes through evolution that allow them to decouple hypoxia and inflammation.

If oxygen levels become deficient in its tissues, causing hypoxia, cells can use the high levels of the sugar glycogen stored in its heart and brain to begin anaerobic metabolism, creating energy without oxygen.

This cascade of hypoxia reminded Williams—who studies the physiology of both diving mammals and human athletes—of the ways that marine mammals had previously illuminated human health issues.

He was also known to inhale nitrous oxide cartridges that can induce hypoxia.