3. Organisms Exchange Substances With Their Environment Flashcards
What’s the environment around the cells of multicellular organisms called
Tissue fluid
4 examples of things needed to be interchanged between an organism and its environment
-Respiratory gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide)
-Nutrients (glucose, fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals)
-Excretory products (urea and carbon dioxide)
-Heat
What are the 2 ways excretory products, nuterients and respitory products are exchanged
-passively (no metabolic energy required), by diffusion and osmosis
-actively (metabolic energy is required) by active transport
What’s required for gas exchange to be effective
The exchange surfaces of an organism must be large compared to its volume
(Large surface area to volume ratio)
Surface area of a sphere =
4 π r^2
Volume of a sphere
4/3 π r^3
How to calculate the surface area to volume ratio
Surface area / volume
Make sure volume is 1
Eg:
SA: = 0.6:1
Features of specialised exchange surfaces
-Large surface area to volume ratio: increases the rate of change
-very thin = short diffusion distance pathway = materials cross exchange surface rapidly
-selectively permeable = allows selected materials to cross
-movement of the environmental medium (eg: air) to maintain a concentration gradient
-a transport system ensures movement of the internal medium (eg: blood) to maintain a diffusion gradient
Diffusion equation
Diffusion ∝ (surface area x difference in concentration )
—————————————————————
.length of diffusion pathway
Diffusion is directly proportional to surface area and concentration difference
Diffusion is inversely proportional to length of diffusion pathway
Why are specialised exchange surfaces located on the inside of an organism
They’re thin so are easily damaged and dehydrated
Describe gas exchange in a single-celled organism
-single called organisms are small -> large surface area to volume ratio
-oxygen is absorbed by diffusion across a cell surface membrane
-CO2 from aerobic respiration diffuses out
Cell walls are no additional barrier to the diffusion of gases
What types of organisms are insects
Terrestrial
Describe the specialised exchange surface that insects have evolved for efficient gas exchange
tracheae:internal network of tubes, supported by strengthened rings to prevent them from collapsing
They divide into tracheoles: small dead-end tubes that extend throughout body tissue
Allows o2 to be brought directly to respiring tissues due to small diffusion pathway.
What are the 3 ways respitory gases move in and out of the tracheal system
1) along a diffusion gradient
2) mass transport
3) ends of the tracheoles are filled with water
How do gases enter and leave the tracheae
Through tiny pores called spiracles
-Found on the body surface which open and close by a valve
When open: water vapour evaporates from insect
When closed: prevents water loss
For most of the time, insects keep their spiracles closed
What are the limitations of the tracheal system as a method of gas exchange
-relies mostly on diffusion to exchange gases between cells and environment
- for diffusion to be effective, the diffusion pathway needs to be short so insects are small sized. Length of diffusion pathway limits size of that insects attain.
Describe the general structure of a fish and how does that relate to their exchange system
Have a waterproof and gas tight outer covering
Small surface area to volume ratio
Therfore:
Their body surface isn’t adequate to supply and remove respiratory gases so…
they’ve evolved specialised internal gas exchange surfaces
Describe the structure of the gills
Located within the body, behind the head
Made up of gill filaments stacked up in a pile
Perpendicular to the filaments are gill lamellae, which increase surface area of gills
Describe the ventilation of gills
Water is taken through mouth and forced over gills through an opening on each side of the body
Flow of water over the gill lamellae and flow of blood in opposite directions - counter current flow principle
Ensures maximum gas exchange is achieved
Describe what the countercurrent exchange principle in fish means will happen
-oxygenated blood meets water with high oxygen concentration.
-deoxygenated blood meets water with low oxygen concentration.
So Diffusion of oxygen from water to blood takes place DOWN a concentration gradient
Diffusion gradient for oxygen is maintained across entire width of gill lamellae
Compare the parallel flow and countercurrent flow in the gills of a fish
Countercurrent:
A diffusion gradient is maintained all the way across the gill lamellae. Almost all the oxygen from the water diffuses into the blood
Parallel:
A diffusion gradient is maintained for only half of the distance across the gill lamellae. Only 50% of oxygen in water diffuses into the blood
How do respiratory gases move in & out of the tracheal system along a diffusion gradient ?
When cells respire, o2 is used up and so the conc. towards the ends of the tracheoles falls which creates a diffusion gradient. (Allows o2 to diffuse in)
CO2 is produced by respiring cells which creates a diffusion gradient in the opposite direction (allows co2 to diffuse out)
How do respiratory gases move in & out of the tracheal system via mass transport ?
The contraction of muscle s in insects can squeeze the trachea enabling mass movement of air in and out
How do respiratory gases move in & out of the tracheal system due to the end of the tracheoles being filled with water ?
During strenuous activity the muscle cells around the tracheoles respire anaerobically, producing lactate which is soluble and lowers the water potential of the muscle cells.
Water can therefore move from the tracheoles and into the cells by osmosis which decreases the volume of water in the tracheoles and allows air to be drawn further in