Gas Exchange Flashcards
1
Q
Single Celled Organisms
A
- Absorb and release gases by diffusion
- Through their outer surface
- They have a large surface area, thin surface and short diffusion pathway (don’t need a gas exchange system)
2
Q
Multicellular Organisms
A
- Some cells are too far from the outer environment and deep within the body
- Large organisms have a low surface area to volume ratio
- So they need specialised exchange systems to transport substances to and from individual cells via a mass transport
3
Q
Body Size & Rate Of Heat Loss
A
- Rate of heat loss depends on surface area
- Organisms with large volume to surface area ratio (e.g. Hippo) don’t lose body heat easily
- Organisms with a small volume to surface area ratio (e.g. Mouse) easily lose body heat
- Small organisms require a high metabolic rate to generate enough heat to stay warm
4
Q
Body Shape & Environment
A
- Animals with a compact shape have a small surface area to volume ratio (don’t easily lose heat)
- Compact shapes are beneficial in colder environments
- Animals with a less compact shape have a larger surface area to volume ratio (lose heat easily)
- Less compact shapes are beneficial in hotter environments
5
Q
Insects Gas Exchange
A
- Use tracheae (small air-filled pipes)
- Air moves into the tracheae
- Through pores on the surface called spiracles
- Oxygen travels down its concentration gradient towards respiring cells
- The tracheae branch off into smaller tracheoles (these are thin, have permeable walls and go to individual cells)
- This allows oxygen to diffuse directly into the respiring cells
- Carbon dioxide from the cells moves down its own concentration gradient towards the spiracles and is released into the atmosphere
6
Q
Rhythmic Abdominal Movements
A
- Rhythmic contractions of abdominal muscles compress the air sacs
- This helps increase ventilation
- Insects are then able to maintain a concentration gradient during vigorous activity (e.g. flying)
- This increases the rate of gas exchange when the insect is more active and has increased metabolic demand
7
Q
Insects Water Loss
A
- When they’re losing too much water they close their spiracles using muscles
- They have a waterproof waxy cuticle over their body
- They have small hairs around their spiracles
- These all reduce evaporation
8
Q
Fish Adaptations For Gas Exchange
A
- There’s a lower concentration of oxygen in water than air
- Thin epithelium for a short pathway
- Large surface area from gill filaments and their lamellae projections
- Good blood supply to maintain a concentration gradient
9
Q
Fish Ventilation
A
- Fish opens it’s mouth and lowers buccal floor
- This increases the volume and decreased pressure in the mouth
- Water rushes into the mouth
- Fish closes its mouth and raises buccal floor
- This decreases volume and increases pressure in the mouth
- Water is forced over the gills and out of the operculum
- Gas exchange happens in the gills
10
Q
Fish Counter-Current System
A
- Blood flows through the lamellae in one direction
- Water flows over the lamellae in the opposite direction
- This counter-current system maintains a large concentration gradient between the water and blood throughout the length of the gill
- The blood always passes water with a higher oxygen concentration
- This means as much oxygen as possible diffuses from the water into the blood
11
Q
Fish Gas Exchange Structure
A
- Each gill is made of thin gill filaments
- These give it a big surface area
- The gill filaments are covered in lots of tiny structures called lamellae
- These increase the surface area even more
- Lamellae have lots of blood capillaries and a thin surface layer of cells to speed up diffusion
12
Q
Waxy Cuticle
A
- A waxy layer that reduced water loss from the surface of the leaf
13
Q
Upper Epidermis
A
- Protects internal tissue from damage and bacterial or fungal invasion
14
Q
Palisade Mesophyll
A
- Full of chloroplasts with chlorophyll
- To absorb light for photosynthesis
15
Q
Spongy Mesophyll
A
- Large, moist air spaces that are loosely packed
- Help with the gas exchange diffusion
16
Q
Vascular Bundle
A
- Has the xylem and phloem transport tubes inside
17
Q
Xylem
A
- Carries water and mineral salts upwards
18
Q
Phloem
A
- Transports organic substances e.g. glucose in both directions