4. Gas exchange Flashcards
Why does the volume of an organism affect the rate of gas production/use
Bigger volume = more cells
Increase use of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide
Why do some animals need a higher metabolic rate than others
Smaller mammals and birds have a larger SA:V so lose heat faster. They need a higher metabolic rate so respire faster
What is aerobic respiration
Glucose + Oxygen -> Carbon dioxide + water + ATP
How do gases exchange over surfaces for aerobic respiration
Diffusion
How do single celled organisms gas exchange
Simple diffusion of gases across their outer surface membrane.
Large SA:V and short diffusion pathway so rates can be achived.
Continuous aerobic respiration will maintain concentration gradients for O2 and CO2
What stuructures do fish use to gas exchange
The gills
Between the buccal cavity and the operculum
How is the surface area of the gill alow for effiecient gas exchange
Each gill contains many filaments each covered in many lamellae. Give a large SA for diffusion
How are a fishs gill diffusion pathway structured for efficient gas exchange
Gills have rich blood supply
Many capillaries in a single layer of thin epithelium
Close to thin-walled lamellae
Many cappilaries increase SA
Thin epithelium ensures short diffusion pathway between blood and water
How is a concentration gradient maintained in a fish’s gill
- Continous flow of blood through capillaries ensures frsh oxygenated blood is quickly removed from gills and replaced with deoxygenated blood
- Water flows over the gill plates in the opposite direction to the flow of blood in capillaires. = Counter current mechanis
Why is the counter current mechanism an improvment over parallel flow
Gas exchange takes place across the entire gill
Oxygen never reaches equilibrium
Blood always meets with water with higher concentration of O2 so conc gradient is maintained along whole length of lamellae
Constant diffusion can occur
What does a ventilation mechanism do in a fish
Ensures water enters the fishs mouth and flows over the gills, leaving via operculum
Constant flow of water over the gills
What is the fructure of an insects body
Protected by an exoskeleton made of chitin - prevents insects using their bodies surface for diffusion
Outermost layer is waxy and waterproof which minimises water loss
Tracheal system constists of air-filled tubes (tracheae) that open to the outside through small holes in exoskelenton called spiricales
What is the trachea system
Larger tracheal tubes subdivide into smaller tubes that penetrate into and between cells.
Finer tubes are tracheoles - site of gas exchange
Large number of them gives large SA for diffusion and short diffusion pathway
How do insects repire at resting
Rely on diffusion down a concentration gradient taht is maintained int the tracheal system due to cellular repsiration in the insects tissues
How does an insects respiration change during flight
Require more ATP to fly
Increase in O2 needed
Ventillation by contraction of the abb muscles force air in and out of spiricles and tracheae to maintain greater airfoe
Maintain steeper conc gradients for fast diffusion
Abdominal pumping