organisms exchange substances with their environment Flashcards
surface area to volume ratio
small organisms have a very large surface area in comparison to their volume (divide volume by surface area) whilst large organisms have a small surface area to volume ratio
gas exchange across single-celled organisms
diffuse directly into or out of the cell across the cell surface membrane
structure of fish gills
- four layers of gills on each side of head, supported by arches
- gills are made of stacks of gill filaments
- lamellae at right angles to gill filaments
process of gas exchange in fish
- fish open mouth to enable water to flow over it then close
- increases pressure
- water passes over lamellae and oxygen diffuses into blood
- CO2 diffuses out and into water and flows back out of gills
- through counter-current mechanism
counter-current exchange principle
- maintains a steep concentration gradient across entire length of lamellae
- water and blood flow in opposite direction
- water always has more O2 than blood
why can’t fish use their bodies for gas exchange?
waterproof, impermeable membrane with a small surface area
structures of dicotyledonous plants
stomata, spongy mesophyll and pallisade layer
stomata
- site of gas exchange
- pores formed by two guard cells
reduction of water loss in plants
stomata close at night when photosynthesis would not be occuring
spongy mesophyll
- irregularly shaped cells
- air spaces to allow diffusion between stomata and photosynthesisng cells
- help maintain concentration gradient
pallisade layer
- pallisade cells which contain chloroplasts
- site of photosynthesis
adaptations of leaf for gas exchange
- thin and flat for short diffusion path and large SA:V
- stomata under leaf
- air spaces in mesophyll allow gases to move around leaf for photosynthesis
why can’t insects use their bodies for gas exchange?
they have a waterproof chitin exoskeleton and a small SA:V to conserve water
structures and function of insect gas exchange
spiracles- holes on body’s surface that can open and close with use of valves
tracheae- large tubes extending through all body tissues
tracheoles- smaller branches dividing of tracheae
process of gas exchange in insects
- gases move in and out of tracheae through spiracles
- maintains a concentration gradient
- contraction of muscles in tracheae allows mass movement of air in and out
adaptations of insects for gas exchange
- tracheoles have thin walls so short diffusion distance
- highly branched for large surface area
- tracheae provide tube full of air so fast diffusion into tissues
xerophytic plants
plants that are adapted to survive in environments with limited water
adaptations of xerophytic plants
- curled leaves to trap moisture to increase local humidity and therefore reduce WP gradient
- hairs to trap moisture
- sunken stomata to trap moisture
- thicker cuticle to reduce evaporation
- longer root network to reach more water
gross structure of the human gas exchange system
alveoli, bronchioles, bronchi, trachea and lungs
alveoli
- large number of alveoli
- thin walls
- extensive capillary network
bronchioles
- narrower than bronchi
- muscle and elastic fibres
- air into alveoli
bronchi
- supported by rings of cartilage
- ciliated epthelium
- narrow
- one in each lung
- air into bronchioles
trachea
- wide tube supported by cartilage
- lined with ciliated epithelium cells
- carries air to bronchi
lungs
respiration
chemical reaction to release energy in the form of ATP
breathing
movement of air into and out of the lungs (scientific word is ventilation)
what is gaseous exchange humans?
diffusion of oxygen from air in the alveoli into the blood and of carbon dioxide from the blood into the air in the alveoli
inhalation (inspiration)
- the external intercostal muscles contract whereas the internal muscles relax, as a result this causes the ribs to raise upwards
- the diaphragm contracts and flattens
- the intercostal muscles and diaphragm cause the volume inside the thorax to increase, thus lowering the pressure
- the difference between the pressure inside the lungs and atmospheric pressure creates a gradient, thus causing the air to be forced into the lungs
exhalation (expiration)
- the internal intercostal muscles contract whereas the external muscles relax therefore lowering the rib cage
- the diaphragm relaxes and raises upwards
- this action in combination decreases the volume inside the thorax, therefore increasing the pressure
- forces the air out of the lungs
alveolar epithelium and capillary diffusion
- the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs between the alveoli and the capillaries in the lungs
- oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in a process of simple diffusion
- the air in the alveoli contains a high concentration of oxygen
- the oxygen diffuses from the alveoli and into the blood capillaries, before being carried away to the rest of the body for aerobic respiration
- the blood in the capillaries has a relatively low concentration of oxygen and a high concentration of carbon dioxide
- the carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood and into the alveoli and is then exhaled.
spirometry
measures air volumes- spirometry measures the volume of air that is exchanged between the lungs and the atmosphere
digestion
large biological molecules are hydrolysed to smaller molecules that can be absorbed across cell membranes
pulmonary ventilation rate
tidal volume x breathing rate
tidal volume
the normal volume of air in each breath (norm=0.5dm3)
breathing rate
number of breathes per minute
digestion of carbohydrates location
mouth and small intestine
what hydrolyse carbohydrates?
amylases and membrane-bound disaccharides
role of amylase
hydrolyses polysaccharides into disaccharides by hydrolysing glycosidic bonds
role of membrane-bound disaccharides
sucrase, maltase and lactase hydrolyse disaccharides (e.g sucrose, maltose and lactose) into monosaccharides
digestion of lipids location
small intestine
what hydrolyse lipids?
lipase and bile salts (emulsification)
role of bile salts
emulsify lipids, forming micelles, to provide a larger surface area for lipase action
role of lipase
hydrolyses ester bonds between monoglycerides and fatty acids