Chapter 7 - Exchange Surfaces Flashcards
(135 cards)
why don’t elephant sized insects exist?
- insects have exoskeletons
- carrying a thick & tough exoskeleton requires a lot of energy - high energy demand
- if insects were bigger, the Vol of O2 required would be very large to meet the demands
insects DO NOT exchange gases via _____?
BLOOD
- contain a liquid called hemolymph that transports the products of digestion to their cells NOT O2
-
what do insects have that delivers O2 and removes CO2?
a tracheal system
why do large, multicellular active organisms need specialised exchange surfaces, and small unicellular organisms don’t?
they have different SA:V
small organisms have a ___ SA:V
small organisms have a large SA:V e.g. amoeba, paramecium
large organisms have a ___ SA:V
small ,e.g. elephants, humans, ect
all cells?
- have a demand for e.g. O2, glucose, AAs ect..
- these molecules come from outside the organism - their environment
{diffusion} organisms w a large SA:V
- Organisms w a large SA:V e.g. amoeba obtain these molecules by diffusion directly from the environment - DIFFUSION IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY THE DEMANDS
{diffusion} organisms w a small SA:V?
- organisms w a small SA:V e.g. humans, elephants, ect. need specialised exchange surfaces to supply demand for these molecules. DIFFUSION IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY DEMAND
Exchange surfaces are adapted to?
- exchange surfaces are adapted to maximise the rate of diffusion across them
- this is summarised by Fick’s law
Fick’s law:?
Rate of diffusion = (SA x Conc gradient) / Diffusion distance
the SA and conc gradient need to be as ____ as possible?
BIG
the diffusion distance needs to be as ___ as possible?
SMALL
Why must exchange surfaces be moist?
Substances diffuse IN SOLUTION
How is SA maximised ?
a very large no. of alveoli
how is the conc gradient of CO2 + H2O maximised:?
by ventilation + circulation
what is the diffusion distance minimised by:?
walls of alveoli are 1 cell thick - squamous epithelial cells
what does the nasal cavity do?
warms and moistens inhaled air
what does the epigolttis do?
prevents food from entering trachea during swallowing
What does the pleural fluid do?
cause exterior of lungs and interior of ribcage to stay in contact during ventilation
what does the bronchus do?
smaller branches of the airways
what does the alveolus do?
the site of gas exchange
what does the diaphragm do?
contracts, moving down. Increases lung volume of thoracic cavity causing inhalation
what does the larynx do?
contains vocal cords - allows production of sound when exhaling