Surface area and Fick's law Flashcards
1
Q
what happens when an organism increases in size
A
there surface area to volume ratio decreases
2
Q
fick’s law of diffusion
A
rate of diffusion is directly proportional to surface area x difference in concentration divided by thickness of gas exchange surface
3
Q
what gives the lungs a large surface area
A
- a branched system of tubes ending in many alveoli
- many capillaries surrounding the alveoli
4
Q
how does the lungs have a large difference in concentration
A
- ventilation replaces air that has lost oxygen
- continuous blood flow replaces oxygenated blood with deoxygenated blood
5
Q
how do the lungs have a small distance for diffusion to occur
A
- alveoli walls are one cell thick
- capillary alls are one cell thick
- capillaries are only just wide enough for red blood cells
