Exchange of Substance Flashcards
State the relationship between size and surface area to volume ratio of an organism and how it affects the rate of diffusion.
Smaller organisms have a larger surface to volume ratio, therefore has a shorter diffusion pathway.
State why smaller organisms have a higher metabolic rate.
Smaller organisms have a larger surface area to volume ratio, so there is more heat loss and faster rate of respiration/metabolism, which releases heat.
Why can’t insects exchange substances through their body surface?
They have a waterproof exoskeleton and a small surface area to volume ratio, in order to conserve water.
Name the 3 main parts of the insect exchange system.
- Spiracles
- Tracheae
- Tracheoles
Explain the process of gas exchange in insects.
Gases move in (oxygen) and out (carbon dioxide) of the tracheae via spiracles.
Oxygen diffuses down a concentration gradient through tracheae to tracheoles which lead to respiring tissue, whilst waste carbon dioxide diffuses out .
Contraction of muscles in the tracheae allow gases to move in and out.
Name 3 adaptations of the insect gas exchange system and how they provide sufficient gas exchange.
- Tracheoles have thin permeable walls –> short diffusion pathway.
- Many branches –> increase surface area for carrying gases.
- Tracheae tubes are lined with chitin –> strengthens tubes so can withstand pressure.
Name 3 ways insects can control water loss.
- Insects can close spiracles to conserve water.
- They have a waterproof waxy cuticle exoskeleton to reduce evaporation.
- They have hairs in spiracles to prevent water leaving.
Explain abdominal pumping in insects.
- Abdominal pumping/pressure in tubes linked to carbon dioxide release.
- (Abdominal) pumping raises pressure in body.
- Air/carbon dioxide pushed out of body /air/carbon dioxide moves down pressure gradient (to atmosphere).
Name 2 parts of the fish gas exchange system.
- Gill filaments
- Lamellae
Explain two ways in which the structure of fish gills are adapted for efficient gas exchange.
- Many lamellae –> large surface area for oxygen uptake.
- Thin surface –> short diffusion pathway.
Explain counter-current flow in gas exchange across a fish gill.
- Water and blood flow in opposite directions.
- Blood always passing water with a higher oxygen concentration.
- Diffusion/concentration gradient (maintained) along (length of) lamella/filament.
Name the 8 parts of a leaf.
- Waxy cuticle
- Palisade mesophyll
- Spongy mesophyll
- Guard cells
- Stomata
- Lower epidermis
- Upper epidermis mesophyll
- Upper epidermis
Why do stomata open during the day?
To allows gas exchange to occur.
Describe how carbon dioxide in the air outside a leaf reaches mesophyll cells inside the leaf.
Carbon dioxide enters via stomata, stomata opened by guard cells and diffuses through air spaces down diffusion gradient.
Describe & explain an advantage of having a higher stomatal density.
More carbon dioxide uptake so there is more photosynthesis so faster/more growth.
Describe & explain an disadvantage of having a higher stomatal density.
More water loss/transpiration, less photosynthesis so slower/less growth.
Name 6 adaptations of desert plants.
- Hairs so ‘trap’ water vapour and water potential gradient decreased.
- Stomata in pits/grooves so ‘trap’ water vapour and water potential gradient decreased.
- Thick (cuticle/waxy) layer so increases diffusion distance.
- Waxy layer/cuticle so reduces evaporation/transpiration.
- Rolled/folded/curled leaves so ‘trap’ water vapour and water potential gradient decreased.
- Spines/needles so reduces surface area to volume ratio.
Describe the pathway that air takes into the lungs for human gas exchange.
Air enters the trachea, which splits into two bronchi, then many bronchioles then alveoli, where gas exchange occurs.
State 4 adaptations of alveoli.
- There are many alveoli => so there is a large surface area.
- Alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium are just one cell thick => short diffusion pathway.
- Many capillaries close to alveoli => maintain good bloody supply and steep concentration gradient.
- Well ventilated => bring (fresh air) O2 to the surface and take CO2 (stale air) away and maintain a steep concentration gradient for O2 and CO2.
Define ventilation.
To maintain the diffusion of gases across the alveolar epithelium, air must be constantly moved in and out of the lungs.
Describe the process of ventilation.
The diaphragm and internal/external intercostal muscles contract to change the volume of the thorax, so changing the air pressure.
Air always moves from higher to lower air pressure.
Describe the mechanism of inspiration (breathing in).
- External muscles contracts and diaphragm contracts and flattens.
- Ribs move upwards and outwards.
- Volume of the thorax increases .
- Air activity in thoracic cavity decreases below atmospheric pressure.
- Airs moves into lungs down pressure gradient.
Describe the mechanism of expiration (breathing out).
- Internal intercoastal muscles contract and diaphragm relaxes into a dome shape.
- Ribs move downwards and inwards.
- Volume of the thorax decreases.
- Air pressure in thoracic cavity increases above atmospheric pressure.
- Air moves out of lungs down pressure gradient.
What occurs during forced expiration?
- Internal intercostal muscles contract, pulling the rib cage further down and in.
- External intercostal muscles relax.
Define tidal volume.
Volume of air in each breath.
Define ventilation rate.
Breaths per minute.
Define forced expiratory volume.
Maximum volume of air that can be breathed out in 1 second.
Define forced vital capacity.
Maximum volume of air breathed out forcefully after a deep breath.
Give a description of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Bacterial infection.
The immune system builds hard tubercles around bacteria in the lungs which damages gas exchange around the surface.
Give a description of cystic fibrosis.
After exposure to asbestos or dust.
Thick non-elastic scar tissue forms.
Give a description of asthma.
Airways are irritated and inflamed.
Smooth muscles lining the bronchioles contracts and more mucus is produced.
Give a description of emphysema.
Caused by smoking or air pollution as particles are trapped in the alveoli.
Inflammation attracts phagocytes, and enzymes break down the elastin in the alveolar wall.
Alveoli can not now recoil.
In pulmonary tuberculosis, give an example of the effect on lung function.
Tidal volume is reduced.
In asthma, give an example of the effect of lung function.
Air flow is severely reduced so forced expiratory volume is reduced.
In cystic fibrosis, give 2 examples of effect on lung function.
- Tidal volume and forced expiratory volumes is reduced.
- Gas exchange is reduced as diffusion distance across scar tissue is longer.
In emphysema, give 2 examples of the effect on lung function.
- Destruction of alveolar walls reducing the surface area for gas exchange.
- Increase ventilation rate to compensate.
What occurs during digestion.
Large molecules are hydrolysed into smaller molecules that can be absorbed across a cell membrane.
Describe carbohydrate digestion thoroughly.
- In the mouth, salivary amylase hydrolyses glycosidic bonds in starch to form maltose.
- Amylase is produced in the salivary glands, which is released into the mouth.
- Amylase is also produced by the pancreas and released into the small intestine.
- In the small intestine, membrane-bound disaccharidases are attached to the membranes of epithelial cells in the ileum. They break down disaccharides into glucose.
Describe lipid digestion thoroughly.
- Lipids are hydrolysed to monoglycerides, and fatty acids catalysed by lipase.
- Lipases are made in the pancreas and work in the small intestine.
- Bile salts produced by the liver emulsify large droplets of lipids into smaller droplets with a larger surface area for lipases to work on.
- The monoglycerides and fatty acids form micelles with bile salts.
What are the function of micelles? And a property of them.
Micelles are vesicles which deliver fatty acids, glycerol and monoglycerides to epithelial cells of the ileum for absorption.
They are water soluble.
Describe protein digestion thoroughly.
- Proteins are hydrolysed by 3 protease enzymes : endopeptidase, exopeptidase and dipeptidases into amino acids.
- Endopeptidases hydrolyse bonds within a protein and are either produced by the stomach or pancreas and released into the small intestine.
- Exopeptidases, produced by the pancreas and secreted into the small intestine, hydrolyse the bonds at the end of proteins to remove single amino acids.
- Dipeptidases are located on the cell surface membrane of the epithelial cells in the small intestine and separate dipeptides into two amino acids.
How can lipid digestion be measured?
Lipid digestion can be measured by the change in pH. As lipids are hydrolysed the fatty acids make the solution more acidic. The faster the change in pH, the faster the hydrolysis of lipids.
The action of endopeptidases and exopeptidases can increase the rate of protein digestion. Describe how.
- Exopeptidases hydrolyse peptide bonds at the ends of a polypeptide and endopeptidases hydrolyse internal peptide bonds within a polypeptide.
- More surface area.