Bart - Respiration Flashcards
Which biological processes are described with external and internal respiration?
- External respiration refers to the exchange of gases between the environment and the organism,
primarily involving the respiratory surfaces such as gills or lungs. - Internal respiration refers to the exchange of gases between the blood and the body’s tissues.
Why is aerobiosis favorable in comparison to anaerobiosis?
Aerobiosis is more favorable because it allows for a more efficient production of ATP through
oxidative phosphorylation. Aerobic respiration produces up to 38 ATP molecules per glucose
molecule, while anaerobiosis (anaerobic respiration) produces only 2 ATP molecules per glucose
molecule.
Which gases can be found in air and what are the percentages?
- The primary gases found in air are:
– Nitrogen (N2) – approximately 78%
– Oxygen (O2) – approximately 21%
– Argon (Ar) – approximately 0.93%
– Carbon dioxide (CO2) – approximately 0.04%
What is partial pressure?
Partial pressure is the pressure exerted by a single type of gas in a mixture of gases. It is proportional to the concentration of that gas in the mixture and contributes to the total pressure of the gas mixture.
What happens if we compress a gas to half its volume?
According to Boyle’s Law, if the volume of a gas is halved, the pressure of the gas will double,
assuming the temperature and the amount of gas remain constant.
Why can small or thin animals survive without a respiration organ?
Small or thin animals can survive without a respiratory organ because they have a large surface area relative to their volume, allowing for sufficient gas exchange directly across their body surface by diffusion.
What is the major evolutionary/developmental difference between gills and lungs?
The major difference is that gills are specialized for extracting oxygen from water, while lungs are
specialized for extracting oxygen from air. Gills have evolved in aquatic environments, and lungs have evolved in terrestrial environments.
Can insects actively ventilate their trachea?
Yes, insects can actively ventilate their tracheal system by using their body muscles to compress and expand their body, which helps to move air in and out of the tracheal tubes.
Explain the counter-current strategy of fish gills and why it is more efficient than the concurrent strategy?
In the counter-current strategy, water flows over the gills in the opposite direction to the flow of blood within the gill capillaries. This arrangement maintains a constant and favorable gradient for oxygen diffusion across the entire surface of the gill, allowing for a greater transfer of oxygen from the water to the blood. In the concurrent strategy, the blood and water flow in the same direction, leading to an equilibrium where no further oxygen transfer can occur.
Describe the differences in the lungs of birds and mammals!
Bird lungs are fixed structures that do not expand and contract like mammalian lungs. Instead, birds use air sacs to ventilate their lungs, creating a unidirectional flow of air through the lungs, allowing for more efficient gas exchange. In contrast, mammalian lungs inflate and deflate with each breath, with air moving in and out through the same pathways (tidal ventilation), resulting in less efficient gas exchange compared to the avian system.
