These women are called lioness of sea, can remain inside water without oxygen for hours , scientists are…., they are from….

Special women of South Korea: You must have heard stories about sea mermaids which, according to folklore are aquatic creatures with the head and upper body of a female human and they they can easily swim and live in water as long as they need to. Would you believe if we tell you that there are humans who can deep dive into frozen cold waters and stay there for a very long time without any oxygen support?

As per a report carried by DW, there exists a small island off the Korean coast which is home to a genetically distinct population of humans who have special powers to protect their body in extreme cold temperatures. Here are all the details you need to know about the special women of the South Korea island.

Special women of South Korea

The report calls the special humans of South Korea as Haenyeo — literally “sea women”. They are Korean cultural divers who have specific adaptations in their body allowing them to dive for longer periods than other people. Moreover, the inhabitants of the South Korean island appear to have unique genes that protect their bodies against blood pressure changes while they are diving in extremely low temperatures.

“They now wear wetsuits, but up until the 1980s they were diving in these cotton bodysuits,” Melissa Ilardo, a geneticist at the University of Utah working with these women, was quoting as saying.

Special genes of South Korean women

As per the report, the special genes of these women provides them an increased tolerance for cold – a trait that allows these women to endure wind-chilled waters hovering near zero degrees Celsius.

“If we can understand how their bodies manage oxygen and regulate blood pressure so effectively, we may be able to translate these insights into therapies for cardiovascular diseases.” Ilardo added.

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