8) Animal Exchange & Transport Flashcards
What factors affect the rate of diffusion?
Temperature
Concentration gradient
Membrane surface area
What is the surface area to volume ratios for most small organisms?
High surface area to volume ratio
Are multi-celled or single-celled organisms more likely to rely on diffusion?
Single-celled organisms
What would the surface area to volume ratio be for a cube with a volume of 8cm^3 and a surface area of 24cm^2?
3:1
What is Flick’s law?
rate of diffusion = (surface area x concentration difference) / thickness of membrane
What are exchange surfaces?
Surfaces adapted to maximise the efficiency of a gas and solute exchange across them
What adaptations do exchange surfaces have? (4)
Ventilation
Blood supply
Large surface area
Thin membrane
Why does a thin membrane increase rate of diffusion?
Reduced diffusion distance
Why does a large surface area increase rate of diffusion?
More of a substance can diffuse at the same time
Why does a good blood supply increase rate of diffusion?
Blood vessels replenish blood supply to maintain at high concentration gradient
Why does good ventilation increase rate of diffusion?
A high concentration gradient is maintained
How are exchange surfaces ventilated?
Through breathing
What are examples of exchange surfaces?
Small intestine Alveoli Gills Roots Leaves
What do leaves exchange?
Carbon dioxide
Oxygen
What do roots exchange?
Water
Minerals
What do gills exchange?
Oxygen dissolved in water
Carbon dioxide in bloodstream
What do alveoli exchange?
Carbon dioxide
Oxygen
What does the small intestine exchange?
Nutrients from digested food
What fluid is blood made up of?
Plasma
What are tissues?
Groups of similar cells that act together to perform a similar function
What is blood?
A tissue
What are red blood cells also called?
Erythrocytes
What are the two types of white blood cell?
Phagocytes
Lymphocytes
What components are suspended in blood plasma?
White blood cells
Red blood cells
Platelets
What are platelets responsible for?
Blood clotting at wound sites
What are platelets?
Small cell fragments without a nucleus
What are red blood cells responsible for?
Transporting oxygen from the lungs to all body cells
What are white blood cells responsible for?
Defending against infection
How are red blood cells adapated to their function?
Haemoglobin
Small size
Bioconcave shape
No nucleus
Why don’t red blood cells have a nucleus?
To have more room for haemoglobin to maximise oxygen carried
Why do red blood cells have a bioconcave shape?
To increase their surface area
Why do red blood cells have a small size?
To pass through tiny capillaries
What additional sub-cellular structure do white blood cells have compared to red blood cells?
A nucleus
What is strange about white blood cells’ shape?
It can change
Why can white blood cells change their shape?
To squeeze through blood vessel walls into body tissues
To engulf harmful microorganisms
What are the 3 types of blood vessels?
Capillaries
Arteries
Veins
What carries blood around the body?
Blood vessels