2.2 adaptions for gas exchange Flashcards
via what do organisms exchange gases (such as oxygen and carbon dioxide) with the atmosphere?
via a gas exchange surface
what determines how much gas can be exchanged?
the surface area of the gas exchange surface
why is there always a balance to be struck about the size of the gas exchange surface in terrestrial organisms?
- as organisms increase in size, a specialised gas exchange surface is required to increase the area available
- since this also increases the area available for water loss, there is always a balance to be struck between exchanging gases and water loss in terrestrial organisms
why do larger organisms have a higher oxygen requirement?
- they have a greater number of cells
- more active
what are the general characteristics of an efficient gas exchange surface?
- large surface area to volume ratio
- moist to allow gases to diffuse
- thin to provide a short diffusion distance
- permeable to gases
- steep diffusion gradient
additional features but not present in all organisms:
- good blood supply to maintain conc gradient (not single-celled organisms, insects or plants)
- ventilation mechanism to maintain concentration gradient (not single celled organisms, worms or plants)
what are some additional features for gas exchange in organisms (but not present in all organisms)?
additional features but not present in all organisms:
- good blood supply to maintain conc gradient (not single-celled organisms, insects or plants)
- ventilation mechanism to maintain concentration gradient (not single celled organisms, worms or plants)
what is an example of a single-celles organism?
Amoeba
features of single-celled organisms:
- surface area is large enough to meet the needs of the organism
- and therefore materials can be exchanged directly accros its thin and permeable cell surface membrane
- as the cytoplasm is constantly moving, the conc gradient is always maintained
how is material/gases transported into single-celled organisms? why?
directly across its thin and permeable cell surface membrane
bc the surface area is large enough to meet the needs of the organism
how is the concentration gradient in single-celled organisms (e.g Amoeba) maintained?
as the cytoplasm is constantly moving
why is diffusion across the body surface in larger organisms insufficient to meet the needs of the organism?
- the surface area to volume ratio decreases
how is the problem of where animals are very active and therefore have a higher metabolic rate, their oxygen requirements cannot be supplied by the body surface alone, solved?
- by the presence of a specialised gas exchange surface with a ventilation mechanism that ensures that the conc gradient is maintained across the respiratory surface
what is one consequence of maintaining a moist respiratory surface in terrestrial animals?
water loss
how is water loss minimised in terrestrial animals?
by having internal gas exchange surfaces, called lungs
how have flatworms adapted for gas exchange?
- flattened body to reduce diffusion distance between the surface and the cells inside
- and which increases the overall surface area (like mitochondria)
how have earthworms adapted for gas exchange?
- secretes mucus to maintain a moist surface
- has a well developed capillary network under the skin
- has a low metabolic rate to reduce oxygen requirements
- has a network of blood vessels and blood containing haemoglobin for the transport of oxygen (co2 is transported largely in the blood plasma)
how have amphibians adapted for gas exchange?
- moist and permeable skin
- well developed capillary network beneath surface
- have lungs that are used when more active
what are some examples of amphibians?
- frogs
- newts
how have reptiles adapted for gas exchange?
- have internal lungs, like amphibians, but there are more complex and have a larger surface area
what are some examples of reptiles?
- snakes
- crocodiles
how have birds adapted for gas exchange?
- flight generates a very high metabolic rate and hence oxygen requirements
- to meet this, birds have an efficient ventilation mechanism to increase concentration gradient across the lung surface
why do birds need to have an efficient ventilation mechanism to increase concentration gradient across the lung surface?
as flight generates a very high metabolic rate and hence oxygen requirements
what are fish’s specialised internal gas exchange surfaces called?
gills
what are gills made up of?
numerous gill filaments containing gill lamellae at right angles to the filaments
how do gill filaments that contain gill lamellae help in gas exchange?
- they greatly increase the surface area for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
in what way does gas exchange happen in cartilaginous fish?
by parallel flow
what is an example of a cartilaginous fish?
a shark
what is parallel flow?
blood and water flow in the same direction over the gill PLATE
(maintaining the conc gradient for oxygen to diffuse into the blood only up to the point where its concentration in the blood and water is equal)
in parallel flow, oxygen only diffuses into the blood up until what point?
where the concentration of oxygen in the blood and water is equal
how does parallel flow reduce the oxygen that can be absorbed into the blood?
gas exchange is only possible over part of the gill filament surface as an equilibrium is reached which prevents further diffusion and reduces the oxygen that can be absorbed
what is the ventilation mechanism in cartilaginous fish?
- as they swim, they open their mouth, allowing water to pass over the gills
in what way does gas exchange happen in bony fish?
by counter-current flow
what is counter-current flow?
blood and water flow in opposite directions at the gill lamellae
(maintaining the conc gradient and, therefore, oxygen diffuses into the blood, along their entire length)
whta is an example of a bony fish?
- a salmon
is parallel flow or counter-current flow a more efficient system?
counter-current flow
why is counter-current flow a more efficient system?
- because diffusion is maintained along the entire length of the gill filament/gas exchange surface
- because there is always a higher concentration of oxygen in the water than in the blood it meets, which results in higher oxygen absorption as an equilibrium is not reached
bony fish have a (more/less) advanced ventilation mechanism than cartilaginous fish?
more advanced
what is the ventilation mechanism in bony fish?
WATER FLOWS OVER GILLS BY PRESSURE CHANGES
water intake:
- mouth open
- floor of buccal cavity lowers
- opercular valve closed
- volume increases, pressure drops
- water flows in
- contraction of the buccal cavity forces water across the gills
water expulsion:
- mouth closed
- floor of buccal cavity rises
- opercular valve open/operculum opens
- volume decreases, pressure increases
- water leaves
bony fish have an internal bony skeleton
what is the flap that covers the gills of bony fish called?
the operculum
why do fish die out of water?
because the gills collapse and the filaments stick together, greatly reducing the surface area for absorption of oxygen
does more carbon dioxide diffuse from the blood into the water in bony fish or cartilaginous fish?
bony fish
what is the trachea supported by?
20 incomplete cartilaginous rings
the trachea, which is supported by 20 incomplete cartilaginous rings, branches into two ____, each entering a lung. they branch into finer tubes called ____, finally ending in ____ where gas exchange takes place
- bronchi
- bronchioles
- alveoli
when are the internal intercostal muscles used?
only during forced expiration
e.g blowing up a balloon or during exercise
what happens during inspiration in humans? (ventilation mechanism)
- external intercostal muscles contract (while internal relax)
- ribs move up and out
- which pulls the outer pleural membrane outwards
- diaphragm contracts and flattens
- this reduces the pressure in the pleural/chest cavity / thorax
- and the inner pleural cavity membrane moves outwards
- this pulls on the surface of the lungs
- and causes the alveoli to expand
- the alveolar pressure decreases to below atmospheric pressure
- so air is drawn in
what happens during expiration in humans? (ventilation mechanism)
- external intercostal muscles relax
- ribs move downwards and inwards
- allowing the outer pleural membrane to move inwards
- diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards
- this increases the pressure in the pleural cavity
- and the inner pleural cavity membrane moves inwards
- this pushes on the surface of the lungs
- and causes the alveoli to contract
- the alveolar pressure increases to above atmospheric pressure
- so air is forced out
is inspiration in humans passive or active?
active
is expiration in humans passive or active?
passive
how are the alveoli adapted for gas exchange?
- very large surface area FOR DIFFUSION ~ 700million alveoli
- very thin WALLS ~ 0.1um (one cell thick)
- surrounded by capillaries so short diffusion distance
- EXTENSIVE/LARGE CAPILLARY network
- good blood supply to maintain a steep diffusion gradient
- moist lining
- permeable to gases
- collagen and elastic fibres allow expansion and recoil
- a branch of the pulmonary ____ brings deoxygenated blood to the alveoli
- and a branch of the pulmonary ____ carried oxygenated blood from the alveoli back to the heart
- artery
- vein
what prevents the alveoli from collapsing and sticking together, and allows gases to dissolve?
a surfactant
how does a surfactant prevent the alveoli from collapsing and sticking together, and allows gases to dissolve?
(the alveoli produce a surfactant)
- which lowers the surface tension
why will a baby born before around 23 weeks have difficulty in breathing?
surfactant is not produced by the foetus until around 23 weeks of pregnancy
the gills are ___ times more efficient at extracting oxygen than the lungs?
why?
4 times
- this is due to the fact that water contains much less dissolved oxygen in it than is found in air
insects have a branched, chitin-lined system of tracheae with openings called ____?
spiracles
is the system of tracheae in insects branched or unbranched?
branched
how does the chitin help in gas exchange in insects?
- it’s arranged into rings
- it allows the tracheae to expand and contract
- and act like bellows drawing air in and out of the insect’s body
how is the chitin arranged in the gas exchange system of an insect?
it’s arranged into rings
where are spiracles found?
- found in pairs
- on segments of the thorax and abdomen
what can spiracles do?
- they can close during inactivity, and with the presence of chitin
- help to reduce water loss
tracheole tubes come into direct contact with what?
every tissue
supplying oxygen and removing carbon dioxide, so there is no need for haemoglobin