✅ 1.3 Transport Flashcards
What is diffusion?
Diffusion is the spreading out of particles, resulting in a net movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
Where do substances diffuse in and out of cells?
Substances diffuse into and out of cells across the cell membranes
Give 3 examples of substances that are transported in and out of cells by diffusion
- Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide during gas exchange
- Urea when waste products move out of cells and into the blood
List the three factors that affect the rate of diffusion
- Temperature
- Concentration Gradient
- Surface area of cell membrane
How does the concentration gradient affect the rate of diffusion?
The bigger the difference in concentration, the faster the rate of diffusion
How does temperature affect the rate of diffusion?
A high temperature means particles have more kinetic energy, so they can spread and diffuse faster
How does the surface area of a cell membrane affect the rate of diffusion?
The large surface area of cell membrane means there is more membrane for particles to diffuse through
How are single celled organisms adapted for diffusion?
They have a large surface area to volume ratio
What happens to the surface area to volume ratio as organisms get larger?
As organisms get larger, the surface area to volume ratio decreases
Whaich four factors increase the effectiveness of an exchange surface?
How are exchange surfaces adapted?
- Having a large surface area, which means that there is more cell membrane for particles to diffuse through
- Having a thin membrane, to provide a short diffusion path
- Having an efficient blood supply, to maintain the high concentration gradient (in animals)
- Being ventilated (to maintain a high concentration gradient) (in animals, for gaseous exchange)
How is the small intestine adapted for diffusion?
- The small intestine has projections of villi and epithelial cells, which increases the surface area
- Each villus has a good blood supply, so a good concentration gradient is maintained
- The cell wall of the villi is thin, so shorter diffusion pathway
How are the lungs adapted for gas exchange?
Millions of alveoli that collectively provide a large surface area
Each alveoli has a one cell thick wall, so there is a shorter diffusion pathway
Each alveolus is surrounded by capillaries to maintain a good concentration gradient
What are the gills of fish covered in?
Gills are covered in a very large number of fine filaments, which is where gas passes in and out of the blood
How are the gills adapted for gas exchange?
- The large number of gill filaments give the gills a large surface area
- The filaments have a thin membrane which provicdes a shorter diffusion pathway
- The filaments have an efficient blood supply to take the oexygenated blood away and ensure that the concentration gradient is always high
How are the roots and leaves of plants adapted for gas exchange?
- Plants have root hair cells that increase the surface area of the roots for the absorption of mineral ions and water
- Leaves have an internal surface area of the diffusion of gases
- Leaves are thin to reduce the diffusion distance to cells