Adaptations in gas exchange Flashcards
What is surface area to volume ratio
- organisms exchange gases eg oxygen and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere via a gas exchage surface
- surface area determines how much gas can me exchanged
- organims increase in size a specialised gas exchange surdace is required to increase area available
- increase area for water loss tjere always balance to be struck between exchanging gases and water loss in terrestial organisms
What are characteristics of gas exchange surface
- large surface area to volume ratio
- moist to allow gases to dissolve
- thin provide short diffusion distance
- permeable to gases
Describe the gas exchange surface of unicellular organisms
- eg amoeba surface area is large to meet needs of organisms therefore materials can be exchange directly across thin and permeable cell surface membrane
- cytoplasm constanly moving concentration gradient always maintained
Describe the gas exchange surface of multiceelular organisms
- large organisms surface area to volume ration decreases so diffusion is insufficient
- number adaptations solved more specialised larger the organism
- animals are very active so they have a higher metabolic rate oxygen requirements not met by body surface area
- prescence specialissed gas exchange ssurface with ventilation mechanism concentration gradient maintained across respiratory surface
Describe the gas exchange surface of terrestrial animals
- one consequence maintaining moist respiratory surfaces is water loss
- internal gas exchange surfaces called lungs
Describe the gas exchange surface of reptiles eg snakes and crocodiles
- internal lungs
- more complex large surface area
Describe the gas exchange surface of a flatwork
- flattened body reduce diffuion distance between surface and cells inside increase overall sufrace area
Describe the gas exchange surface of an earthworm
- secrete mucus to maintain moist surface has a well developed capillary network under skin
- low metabolic rate reduce oxygen requirements
- network of blood rvessel and blood containing haemoglobin for transport of oxygen
- carbon dioxide transported largely in blood plasma
Describe the gas exchange surface of amphibians eg frogs and newts
- moist and permeable skin with well developed capillary network beneath surface
- lungs used when more active
Describe the gas exchange surface of birds
- flight generates high metabolic rate hence oxygen requirements
- efficient ventilation mechanism is to increase concentration gradient across lung surface
Describe the gas exchange surface of fish
- specialised internal gas exchange surface called fills made of numerous gill filaments containing gill laellae at right angles to filaments
- increase surface area for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
What are cartilegenous fish eg sharks
- blood and water flow in the same direction over gill (parallel flow)
- only possible over part of gill filament surface as equilibrium is reached
- prevent further diffusion and reduces oxygen that can be absorbed in blood
- ventilation mechanism is basic open mouth allow water to pass over gills
What is counter current flow eg bony fish
- blood and water flow in opposite directions
- more effiecient system diffusion maintained along entire length of gill filaments as always has a higher concentration gradient in water than in the blood it meets
- higher oxygen absorbtion as equilibrium not reached
- bondy fish more advances ventilation mechanism than cartliegenous fish
how does ventilation occur in bondy fish
- bony fish have an internal body skeleton and flap covering gills called operculum
How does water move into mouth in bony fish
- mouth open
- floor of buccal cavity lowers
- water rushes in
- opercular valve closed
- volumer increases pressure drops
How does water move out of bony fish
- mouth close
- flow or uccal cavity rises
- water forced out over gills
- opercular valve open
- volume decreases pressure increases
What are structure of the lungs
- trachea is supported by 20 incomplete cartilegenous rings, branches into two bronchi entering a lung
- bornchi branch into finer tubes called bronchioled finally ending in alveoli where gas exchange takes place
Descrbie the process of inspiration (inhaling)
- active process
- external intercostal muscles contract moving ribs up and out pulls outer pleural membrane outwards
- diaphragm contracts and flattens
- reduces the pressure in the pleaural cavity and inner pleural membrane moves outwards
- pulls on the surface of lungs causing alveoli to expand
- alveolar pressure decreases to below atmospheric pressure so air is drawn in
Describe expiration (exhale)
- passive process
- external intercostal muscles relax so rib move downwards and inwards allowing the pleaural membrane to move inwards
- diaphragm relaxes and move upwards
- increases pressure in pleural cavity and inner pleaural membrane moves inwards
- pushes on the suface of the lungs and causes the alveoli to contract
- alevolar pressure increases to above atomspheric presure so air is forced out
Describe gas exchange in alveoli
- very large surface area - 700 million alveoli
- very thin walls
- surrounded by capillaries short diffuion ditance and good blood supply
- moit lining
- permeable to fases
- collagen and elastic fibres allow expansion and recoil
- branch of pulmonary arter yvrubgs deoxygenated blood to the alveoli and a branch of pulmonary vein carries deoxygenated blood from alveoli back to the heart
- alveoli produce a surfactant which lowers the surface tenssion preventing alveoli from collapsing and sticking together and allow gases to dissolve elastic fibres and collagen
Describe gas exchange in insects
- insects have branched chitin lined system of trachea with openings called spiracles
- chitin is arranges in rings allowing the trachea to expand and contract and act like bellows draing air in and out of inssects body
- spiracles found in pairs in segments if the thorax and abdoen close during inactivity and prescent of chitin help reduce water loss
- trachea tubes come into contact with every tissue suppluing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide so no need for haemoglobin
- ends of tubes are filled with fluid to allow gases to dissolve
- muscles in thorax and abdomen contract/relax causing rythmical movementss that ventilate the tracheoles tubes maintianing a concentration gradient
Describe gas exchange in plants
- plants require oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
- fase’s obtained by diffusion through the leaf
- hover to reduce water loss plant have a waxy cuticle covers surface of the leaf prevents diffusion of gases
- plants have stomata underside of mot leaves open during the daay aloow gas exchange close at night or during drought conditions to reduce water loss
Describe the stomatal opening mechanism
- size of pore (stoma) between guard cells can be controlled to reduce water losss via transpiration by guard cells that surround it
- guard cell photoynthesis producing ATP
- energy releases from ATP activley transport potassium ions into guard cells
- triggers starch (insoluble) to be onverted into malate ions (soluble)
- water potential of guard cells is lowered so water eneters cells via osmosis
- guard cells expand and outer wall stretched more than inner wall because it’s thinner creates a pore betwee two guard cells
- reverse happens at night
What are the adaptations for leafs in gas exchange
- leaves are thin and flat for providing a large surface area to capture light and for gas exchange
- leaves have many pores called sstomata (singular stoma) to allow gas exchange of gases
- spongy mesophyll cells are surrounded by air spaces that allow gases to diffuse