Gas Exchange in Organisms Flashcards
What needs to be exchanged between an organism and its environment?
Respiratory gases - oxygen, carbon dioxide, water
Nutrients- vitamins, minerals, glucose
Excretory products - urea, faeces, fibre
Heat
What kind of exchanges can take place?
Passive - simple diffusion and osmosis
Active - facilitated diffusion and active transport
What is fick’s law?
Large SA x steep concentration gradient
Divided by
Short diffusion distance
What are some single cell organisms?
Bacteria
Fungi
Yeast
Algae
How does gas exchange take place in single celled organisms?
High SA:V ratio
1 cell thick therefore short diffusion distance
They use O2 for respiration constantly and water for chemical reactions (like protein synthesis) therefore steep concentration gradient as more O2 and water outside the cell
Describe the pathway of oxygen into insects?
Spiracle Trachea Tracheoles Capillaries Cells
How is steep concentration gradient achieved in gas exchange of insects?
Oxygen is constantly used by the cells for aerobic respiration therefore there is always more oxygen outside the cells
Abdominal pumping (rhythmic contractions) moves the gas in and out
How is large surface area achieved in gas exchange of insects?
Thin flat body surface
Leads to many spiracles available for oxygen to move in
How is short diffusion distance achieved in gas exchange of insects?
The tubes have a thin permeable membrane adjacent to individual cells for aerobic respiration
Mitochondria are rarely more than a few micrometers away from an air capillary
How does the trachea in insects being filled with water at the end help gas exchange?
In major activity anaerobic respiration takes place producing lactate = lower water potential
Therefore water moves into the cells and the volume of water in the trachioles decreases drawing air further in
This means the final stage of diffusion takes place as a gas and not a liquid making diffusion happen quicker
What is important about the trachea in insects?
They are supported by strengthened rings to prevent them form collapsing
How do insects limit water loss?
Small SA:V ratio - minimising area for water to be lost
Water proof covering on their whole body
Spiracles can be closed
How does water move into a fish?
Open mouth
= volume increases
∴ pressure decreases
Drawing water in because of the pressure concentration gradient
Water is forced over the gills for gas exchange
How does water move out of a fish?
Close mouth
= volume decreases
∴ pressure increases
Forcing water out because of the pressure concentration gradient
How is steep concentration gradient achieved in gas exchange of fish?
The blood in the gills acquiring oxygen moves around the body
∴ maintaining a steep concentration gradient
As always more oxygen in the water
How is large surface area achieved in gas exchange of fish?
The gill filaments and lamella
How is short diffusion distance achieved in gas exchange of fish?
1 cell thick to move through
What property do fish have?
A waterproof coating and therefore it is gas tight
What is the gill lamella?
Where the actual exchange takes place
A little disk perpendicularly placed at the end of the gill filaments that make up the gill rakers
How does the water move within the gills of a fish?
Countercurrent flow
The water moves in the opposite direction to the blood flow
A constant concentration gradient is maintained across the whole lamella
This allows for 80% of oxygen available to be absorbed into the blood