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12-8-1995

UM professor studies similarities in breath of humans, armadillos

University of Montana--Missoula. Office of University Relations

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Recommended Citation University of Montana--Missoula. Office of University Relations, "UM professor studies similarities in breath of humans, armadillos" (1995). University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present. 13942. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/newsreleases/13942

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UM PROFESSOR STUDIES SIMILARITIES IN BREATH OF HUMANS, ARMADILLOS

MISSOULA--

Someday people with lung diseases might be able to breathe a little easier with the help of armadillos, says Del Kilgore, biology professor at The University of Montana—Missoula. Kilgore, who studied the breathing structure of the burrowing mammals in his UM lab last summer, found that armadillos are a model organism for studying humans with restrictive pulmonary diseases. When exposed to carbon dioxide, most mammals increase the depth of their breathing by taking a bigger breath. Not the armadillo. Kilgore’s study found that they breathe more frequently instead. "There’s no other evidence that any other species responds to carbon dioxide in this way, with the exception of humans that have restrictive lung disease such as polio or paralysis of the respiratory structure," Kilgore says. Imagine That! is produced jointly by UM and -Bozeman. Kilgore’s program airs Sunday, Dec. 17, at 9 p.m. on KUFM/KGPR and Monday, Dec. 18, at 7:33 a.m. on KEMC and at 6:28 p.m. on KGLT. For more information, call Rita Munzenrider at UM, (406) 243-4824. m

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