is mainly made up of the olfactory lobes. These detect smell and scent. The forebrain, also known as cerebrum in other vertebrates, is not used in “learning” with the great whites. The midbrain contains the optic lobes, dealing with sight. Much of the sensory information is coordinated, and where directions are sent out for movement. The hindbrain is the biggest region. It must be big because it is needed to control and coordinate life functions and motions. These include: balance, swimming, heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion, as well as secretion. The great white’s digestive tract begins with the short and wide esophagus. The esophagus leads to the stomach, leading to a spiral valve. The spiral valve is twisted to increase the surface area, which increases nutrient absorption. After the spiral valve, the digestive tract leads to the rectum and to the cloaca. The cloaca is the opening for the urinary, digestive, and reproductive systems.The shark’s heart has only two S-shaped chambers. The blood flows from the heart to the gills and then to the body tissue (red muscles). The temperature of a great white can be a bit higher than its surrounding environment, usually fourteen degrees Fahrenheit higher. This heat is because the red muscle. The blood returning to the heart from the muscle is warmer than blood traveling from the heart to the muscle because muscle-generated heat warms the blood circulating through the red muscle. Because the arteries and veins are so close to each other, heat passes from warmer veins to cooler arteries within the shark’s body. Sharks have low blood pressure. The walls of the pericardium are rigid, creating suction within the pericardium to maintain the flow of blood. To circulate blood throughout their bodies, the great white shark must swim continuously. A shark’s liver is made of two large lobes that concentrate and store oils and...
