B3 Flashcards
What is osmosis?
The movement of water molecules from region of high water concentration to a region of low water concentration across a semi-permeable membrane.
What will happen if the solution inside the cell is more concentrated than the solution outside of the cell?
It means that the solution outside of the cell will be more dilute than the inside of the cell, so the water will move into the cell by osmosis.
What will happen if the solution inside of the cell is more dilute than the outside of the cell?
Water will leave the cell and go into fluid outside of the cell by osmosis.
What is an exchange surface?
A surface that allows a dissolved substance to move through them. They have to allow enough of the dissolved substances through.
How are exchange surfaces adapted to maximise their effectiveness?
- Thin so substances only have a short distance to diffuse
- Large surface area- so lots of particles can diffuse through at once
- Exchange surfaces in animals- lots of blood vessels to get substances in and out of body quickly
Explain how leaves are adapted to maximise the amount of carbon dioxide that gets to their cells.
- Stomata- exchange surface under leaf- allows carbon dioxide to diffuse through the leaf into the cells (oxygen and water vapour diffuse out of leaf trough the stomata too)
- Guard cells- they open and close the stomata. If the plant is losing too much carbon dioxide than it is being replaced the guard cells will close the stomata, too much carbon dioxide and the guard cells will open stomata to release some of it.
- Flattened shape- increases surface area of exchange surface so more carbon dioxide can be absorbed by the leaves
- Walls of cells form another exchange surface and the air spaces inside of leaf increase the area of this surface so more CO2 gets into the cells
Name the main substances that diffuse out of leaves.
Oxygen and water vapour
What conditions does evaporation of water from leaves happen most quickly in?
Hot, dry and windy conditions
How does water vapour leave the leaf?
It evaporates from cells inside the leaf and then escapes by diffusion
What happens inside the lungs?
-Oxygen from the air is put into the bloodstream and gets rid of carbon dioxide from the blood. The oxygenated blood is sent to the heart to be pumped around the body
Where are the lungs located in the body?
Inside the thorax and protected by the rib cage.
How does oxygen get to the lungs?
- The air breathed in travels down the trachea, which then splits into tubes called bronchi
- Each bronchus goes into one of the lungs
- Then the bronchi splits into smaller tubes called bronchioles
- The bronchioles stop at small bags, called the alveoli, where gas exchange takes place.
Define ventilation.
The movement of air into and out of the lungs
How does the action of breathing in happen?
- The intercostal muscles and diaphragm contract which increases the volume of the thorax
- This decreases pressure in the lungs, drawing air in
How does the action of breathing out happen?
- Intercostal muscles and diaphragm relax which decreases the volume of the thorax
- This increases pressure in the lungs, forcing air out
Give four ways that the alveoli is ideal for gas exchange.
- Lots of small folded bags which increases surface area for gas exchange to happen-increases amount of gas exchange
- The walls of the alveoli are only one cell thick so it shortens the distance that gas has to diffuse across
- Surrounded by lots of capillaries which ensures a good blood supply. It takes oxygen away from the lungs quickly and helps to maintain the concentration gradient between the blood and air in alveoli.
- Each alveolus is well ventilated, removing carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen levels- helps to maintain the concentration gradient between blood and air in the alveoli
What is an artificial ventilator?
A machine that moves air in and out of lungs
How does an artificial ventilator work?
It pumps air into the lungs and expands rib cage
When the pumping stops, the rib cage relaxes and pushes air back out of the lungs.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of an artificial ventilator?
+ It helps people who cannot breathe by themselves
+ It doesn’t interfere with the person’s blood flow
- It can cause damage if lungs cannot cope with the artificial air flow
Where are villi found?
Found inside the small intestine, which is covered in little tiny projections called villi.
How are villi adapted to absorbing nutrients?
- Increase surface area so digested food can be absorbed much quicker into the blood
- Have single layer of surface cells- shortens distance for molecules to diffuse
- Have good blood supply to assist quick absorption
What is active transport?
The absorption of substances against the concentration gradient (from low concentration to high)
How is active transport used in a plant?
It allows plants to absorb minerals ions from a very dilute solution, against the concentration. it is essential for growth.
How is active transport used in humans?
It allows nutrients to be taken into the blood, against the concentration gradient, so that the nutrients can travel around the body.
What are the two main differences between active transport and diffusion?
- Active transport works against the concentration gradient whereas diffusion does not
- Active transport requires energy from respiration to make it work whereas diffusion does not
What does the phloem do?
It transports food substances (mainly dissolved sugars), made in the leaves, to growing regions and storage organs of the plant. It transports food in both directions
What does the xylem do?
It carries water and minerals from the roots to the stem and leaves in the transpiration stream.
What is the phloem made up of?
Columns of living cells with small holes in the ends to allow food substances to flow through.
What is the xylem made up of?
Made of dead cells joined end to end, with no end walls and a hole down the middle.
What is transpiration?
The loss of water from the plant
What is transpiration caused by?
The evaporation and diffusion of water from inside the leaves
What does transpiration do?
Creates a slight shortage of water in the leaf, so more water is drawn up from the rest of the plant through the xylem vessels to replace it.
What is the transpiration stream?
The constant drawing up of water through the plant to replace the water lost by evaporation and diffusion. This means that the roots have to keep drawing up water to supply the plants with water. This causes a transpiration stream.
Why does water escape the leaves through the stomata?
Because there is more water inside of the plant than in the surroundings so diffusion takes place.
How are root hair cells adapted to increase the amount of water and minerals that they take in?
- They stick far out into the soil and are long and thin
- This gives the plant a bigger surface area to absorb more water and mineral ions from the soil
Explain why our circulation system is called a double circulation system.
Because it contains two separate circuits.
1st one: pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs to take in oxygen before blood returns to the heart
2nd one: pumps oxygenated blood around the rest of the body. Here, the blood gives up oxygen and the deoxygenated blood returns to the heart and then to the lungs.
Describe the route the deoxygenated blood takes through the heart.
- Deoxygenated blood flows through the vena cava from the body
- Deoxygenated blood in vena cava travels into right atrium
- When right atrium contracts, deoxygenated blood is pumped through a valve into the right ventricle
- When the right ventricle contracts, blood is forced into the pulmonary artery which carries the blood to the lungs to become oxygenated
Describe the route the oxygenated blood takes through the heart.
- Oxygenated blood is pumped from the lungs into the pulmonary vein.
- Oxygenated blood is then carried to the left atrium
- When the left atrium contracts, the oxygenated blood is pumped into the left ventricle
- The left ventricle contracts, forcing the blood through a valve into the aorta
- The oxygenated blood from the aorta to the rest of the body, via the arteries.
What is the function of the arteries?
To carry the oxygenated blood away from the heart and to the rest of the body
What is the function of the veins?
To take blood from the lungs back to the heart
What are the features of the?
Thick muscle, elastic fibres and a small lumen
Why do arteries need muscular, elastic walls?
To withstand the high pressure of blood being pumped from the heart to the rest of the body. The elastic fibres allow the arteries to stretch and spring back
What are the features of the capillaries?
They are really tiny, are one cell thick and have permeable walls.
What is the function of the capillaries?
To carry blood to every cell in the body to exchange substances with them
Describe how the capillaries are adapted to their function.
- They are really small to get to every area and cell in the body to supply food and oxygen and take away CO2
- Have permeable walls so substances can diffuse in and out easier
- Are one cell thick to increase the rate of diffusion as substances have less distance to diffuse across.
What are the features of the veins?
They do not have very thick walls, have a bigger lumen and have valves inside of them
Explain why the veins have those three features.
- Not very thick walls because the blood is at a lower pressure when it is travelling back to the heart
- Bigger lumen to help blood flow back to the heart
- Valves to prevent back flow
What four things does the blood contain?
- Red blood cells
- White blood cells
- Platelets
- Plasma
What is the function of the red blood cells?
To carry oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body
How are red blood cells adapted to their function?
- Biconcave shape- larger surface area for absorbing oxygen
- No nucleus- more room to carry oxygen
- Contain haemoglobin- combines with oxygen in lungs
What is the product of haemoglobin and oxygen when they combine?
Oxyhaemoglobin