3.2 transport in animals Flashcards
what are the 3 reasons for the need for transport systems
size
surface area to volume ratio
metabollic activity
why does size influence the need for a transport system
the innermost cells in an organism are further away increasing diffusion distance.
the diffusion rate is reduced and is too slow to supply oxygen and nutrients to the respiring tissues
The outer layer of cells also uses up the supplies so less reaches the cells deep inside the body
How does the surface area to volume ration influence the need for a transport system
small animals have a high SA:V meaning for each gram of body tissue they have sufficient surface area through which exchange can occur
how does metabolic activity influence the need for an exchange system?
releasing energy from food during aerobic respiration requires oxygen so an active animal requires a good supply of oxygen and nutrients for energy especially animals that keep themselves warm
What are features of an efficient transport system
A fluid or medium to transport oxygen and waste in
a pump to create pressure that will push the fluid around
exchange surfaces that enable substances to enter and leave the blood
tubes or vessels to carry the blood by mass flow
two circuits
What is a single circulatory system?
E.G. fish
blood flows through the heart once for every circuit
What is a double circulatory system?
E.G. mammals
the system has two separate circuits where one carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs and one where oxygenated blood is carried to the tissues
heart - body - heart - lungs - heart
What are the advantages of a double circulatory system?
the heart can increase the blood pressure after it has passed through the lungs so blood is under higher pressure and flows quicker
allows greater flow of blood to the tissues
enables high metabolic activity
Why can’t pressure be too high in the pulmonary circulation?
may damage the delicate capillaries in the lungs
What is an open circulatory systems
where the blood isn’t held in the vessels and instead circulates in the body cavity so the tissues are bathed directly in the blood
What are the disadvantages of open circulatory systems?
blood pressure and flow is low
circulation of blood may be affected by body movements or lack of them
what is a closed circulatory system?
Where the blood is contained in vessels
What are the advantages of a closed circulatory system?
higher pressure do blood flows more rapidly
more rapid delivery of oxygen and nutrients
more rapid removal of CO2 and other waste
transport is independent of body movements
what are the blood vessels called
arteries
arterioles
capillaries
veins
venules
what is the structure of an artery
lumen
endothelium
elastic fibres
smooth muscle
collagen fibres
What is the function of the arteries?
arteries carry blood away from the heart
How are arteries adapted to their function
the blood is at high pressure so the artery wall must be thick in order to withstand that pressure
the lumen is also relatively small to maintain high pressure
the inner wall is folded to allow lumen to expand as blood flow increases
how are arterioles adapted to their function
they are small blood vessels that distribute blood from the artery to the capillary
arteriole walls contain a layer of smooth muscle which contracts and constricts the diameter of the arteriole increasing resistance to the flow of blood reducing its rate
constriction of the arteriole can also be used to divert the flow of blood to regions of the body which require more oxygen
what is the structure of capillaries?
they have very thin walls and are one cell thick and consist of one layer of flattened endothelial cells
they have leaky walls
how does the structure of capillaries relate to their function
their thinner lumen causes red blood cells to be squeezed against its walls reducing diffusion distance
they are one cell thick so this reduces diffusion distance further
What is the function of venules?
they consist of thin layers of muscle and elastic tissue and blood flows from the capillaries to the venules
What is the structure of veins
veins have a relatively large lumen and thin layers of smooth muscle and collagen and elastic tissue
lumen
endothelium
elastic fibres
smooth muscle
collagen fibres
they contain valves
How is the structure of the veins related to their function
veins carry blood back to the heart at a relatively low pressure so the walls do not need to be thick
the layers of elastic fibres, smooth muscle and collagen fibres do not need to be thick as they don’t need to stretch and recoil and aren’t actively constricted to reduce blood flow
veins also contain valves to prevent the backflow of blood
the thin walls can be flattened by the action of the surrounding skeletal muscles and applies pressure to the blood.
define hydrostatic pressure
pressure that a fluid exerts when pushing against the sides of a vessel or container.
Define oncotic pressure
the pressure created by the osmotic effects of the solutes
what is tissue fluid
the fluid surrounding cells and tissues
what is tissue fluid composed of
similar to blood plasma but doesn’t contain most of the cells found in blood plasma or plasma proteins
so it contains many dissolved substances such as oxygen carbon dioxide minerals amino acids glucose etc.
How is tissue fluid formed (summary)
as blood plasma leaks from the capillaries it carries all the dissolved substances into the tissue fluid
How would you describe the movement of blood plasma from the capillaries
mass movement rather than diffusion
How does tissue fluid form? (detailed )
at the arterial end of a capillary the blood is at a relatively high hydrostatic pressure and this pressure tends to push the blood fluid out of the capillary walls
the fluid that leaves the blood consists of plasma with dissolved nutrients and oxygen and the cells that are too large to be pushed through the gaps such as erythrocytes tend to remain in the blood
The tissue fluid surrounds the body cells so exchange of gases and nutrients can occur across the plasma membranes
oxygen and other nutrients enter the cells and carbon dioxide and other waste products leave the cells
How does tissue fluid return to the blood?
the blood pressure at the venous end of the capillary is much lower allowing some of the tissue fluid to return to the capillary carrying co2 and other waste products