Topic 3A - Exchange and transport systems DVY * Flashcards
size and surface area Gas exchange Gas exchange in humans the effects of lung disease interpreting lung disease data dissecting gas exchange systems
why do organisms need exchange surfaces?
cells need to take in oxygen (for aerobic respiration) and nutrients
they need to excrete waste products like CO2 and urea
most organisms need to stay at roughly the same temperature, so heat needs to be exchanged too
how does surface area to volume ratio change with the size of an organism?
the smaller an organism, the greater its surface area to volume ratio
how does exchange work in single-celled organisms?
substances can diffuse directly into (or out of) the cell across the cell-surface membrane. the diffusion rate is quick because of the small distance substances have to travel
why can’t multicellular animals do substance exchange like single-celled organisms?
diffusion across the outer membrane is too slow
how is diffusion across the outer membrane too slow in animals?
some cells are deep within the body
larger animals have a low surface area to volume ratio
what problem does cells deep within the body cause for substance exchange?
big distance between them and outside environment
what problem does low surface area to volume ratio cause for substance exchange?
its difficult to exchange enough substances to supply a large volume of animal through a relatively small outer surface
how have multicellular organisms adapted for substance exchange?
flattened shape so cells are all closer to surface
specialised exchange organs and an efficient system to carry substances to and from their individual cells (mass transport)
what does mass transport refer to in mammals?
it normally refers to the circulatory system, which uses blood to carry glucose and oxygen around the body. it also carries hormones, antibodies and waste like CO2
what does mass transport involve in plants?
the transport of water and solutes in the xylem and phloem
how does body size affect heat exchange?
the rate of heat loss from an organism depends on its surface area. small animals have comparatively large surface areas, this makes it easy to lose heat from its body, so they need a relatively high metabolic rate, in order to generate enough heat to stay warm
how does body shape affect heat exchange?
compact shape = small surface area : volume - minimising heat loss from surface
less compact = large SA:vol - increases heat loss from surface
body shape depends on the temperature of its environment
what’s an example of an animals environmental temperature affecting its body shape?
Arctic fox: 0C - small ears, round head to reduce SA:vol
African bat-eared fox: 25C - large ears, pointed nose to increase SA:vol
European fox: 12*C - intermediate between 2 matching temperature of its environment
what other adaptations do organisms have when their body size or shape doesn’t fit their climate?
kidney structure adaptations so they produce less urine to compensate for water loss through high SA:vol
eating high energy foods to support high metabolic rates in cold regions
thick layers of fur to hibernate in cold weather
large organisms in hot climate increase SA with large flat ears or staying in water
what determines how much of a substance an organism needs?
size
exchange surfaces
metabolic rates
transport systems
what features do specialised exchange surfaces have?
large SA:vol to increase rate of exchange
very thin - to reduce diffusion distance
selectively permeable - allow selected materials to cross
movement of environmental medium to maintain diffusion gradient
transport system - internal medium is moved to maintain diffusion gradient
what is Fick’s law?
rate of diffusion ∝ surface area x concentration difference / thickness of membrane
what major features do gas exchange systems have to have?
large surface area
they’re thin
maintain a steep concentration gradient
why don’t single-celled organisms need gas exchange systems?
they absorb and release gases by diffusion through their outer surface.
they have a large SA, they’re thin so have short diffusion pathway and gases can take part in biochemical reactions as soon as they enter the cell
how do fish get oxygen from the water?
water enters fish through mouth and passes through gills
how are gills adapted for efficient gas exchange?
large surface area
the lamellae have lots of blood capillaries
thin surface layer of cells to speed up diffusion
counter-current blood flow
how do gills have a high surface area?
each gill is made of lots of thin plates called gill filaments
the gill filaments are covered in lots of tiny structures called lamellae
this increases surface area
what is counter-current blood flow?
blood flows through lamellae in 1 direction and water flows in the other.
the concentration of oxygen in the water is always higher than in the blood, so as much oxygen as possible diffuses into the blood
how does gas exchange occur in insects?
tracheal system
what is the tracheal system?
air enters tracheae through spiracles
tracheae branch into smaller tracheoles with thin permeable walls and go to individual cells
insect use rhythmic abdominal movements to move air in and out of the spiracles
ventilation also replaces air in tracheae
what are spiracles?
pores on the surface of insects that connect to the tracheae
how does gas exchange occur in the tracheal system?
oxygen travels down its concentration gradient towards the cells, and diffuses directly into respiring cells from the tracheoles.
CO2 from the cells moves down its own concentration gradient towards the spiracles to be released into the atmosphere
why do leaves need gas exchange?
they need CO2 for photosynthesis which produces oxygen
they need oxygen for respiration which produces CO2
they can’t be completely self-sufficient because they can’t photosynthesise at night
what is the main gas exchange surface in leaves?
the surface of the mesophyll cells, they’re well adapted because they have a large surface area
how do gases reach the mesophyll tissues inside the leaf?
gases move in and out through special pores in the epidermis called stomata
guard cells can open the stomata to allow exchange of gases, and close them to prevent water loss
how do insects reduce water loss without reducing gas exchange too much?
they can close their spiracles using muscles
waterproof waxy cuticle all over their body
tiny hairs around their spiracles which reduce evaporation
small SA:vol
how do plants reduce water loss without reducing gas exchange too much?
can close stomata
waxy upper layer to prevent water loss through evaporation
stomata on shaded underside of leaf
xerophytic adaptations
how do plants open and close their stomata?
kept open during day to allow gaseous exchange.
water entering guard cells makes them turgid, which opens stomatal pore
if plant starts getting dehydrated guard cells lose water and become flaccid, closing pore
what are xerophytes?
plants that are specially adapted for life in warm, dry or windy habitats, where water loss is a problem
what are some examples of xerophytic adaptations?
sunken stomata hairs around stomata curled leaves reduced number of stomata waxy, waterproof cuticles on leaves and stems small leaf surface area extensive roots
how do sunken stomata reduce water loss in leaves?
stomata sunk in pits trap moist air, reducing the concentration gradient of water between the leaf and the air. this reduces the amount of water diffusing out of the leaf and evaporating away
how do hairs surrounding the stomata reduce water loss in leaves?
a layer of hairs on the epidermis traps moist air around the stomata, reducing the concentration gradient of water between the leaf and the air.
how do curled leaves reduce water loss in leaves?
curled leaves with the stomata inside protect them from wind, (windy conditions increase the rate of diffusion and evaporation)
how does a reduced number of stomata reduce water loss in leaves?
there are fewer places for water to escape
why do insects need gas exchange systems?
they are highly active so need efficient gas exchange
but they can’t have thin permeable surfaces over a large area because they also need to conserve water.
this means they need a gas exchange system
what are the trachea in insects made up of?
chitin rings, which prevent the tubes from collapsing
how is the concentration gradient of oxygen in the tracheal system maintained?
cells are respiring and using up oxygen
oxygen concentration near cells is low
where oxygen enters spiracles, oxygen concentration is high
how is the concentration gradient of carbon dioxide in the tracheal system maintained?
cells are respiring and producing CO2
CO2 concentration near cells is high
CO2 concentration near spiracles is low
what happens in abdominal pumping?
insects have muscles which squeeze the trachea enabling mass transportation of gases in and out
during contraction = expulsion of air
during expansion = inspiration of air
why do fish need specialised gas exhange sysytems?
they have a waterproof, gas tight outer covering
small SA:vol
where are gills located?
behind the head of the fish
how many gills do bony fish have?
most bony fish have 5 pairs of gills
how much oxygen can gills absorb from the water?
about 80% of the oxygen available in the water is absorbed into the fish’s blood
how can fish still absorb oxygen when they’re not moving?
bony fish ventilate their gills using muscular contractions which causes water to move through the mouth over the gills and out of the open opercula valves
why is concurrent flow less effective than counter-current flow?
when a fish’s blood flows in the same direction as water, the oxygen concentration in both decreases alongside the other, this means only 50% of the oxygen available can be absorbed
what are the main features of a leaf?
waxy cuticle upper epidermis palisade mesophyll spongy mesophyll xylem phloem lower epidermis guard cells stomata
examples of plants with a thick waxy cuticle?
holly
examples of plants with a small leaf surface area?
conifer needles
cactus spines
examples of plants with sunken stomata?
marram grass
cacti
examples of plants with stomatal hairs?
marram grass
couch grass
examples of plants with rolled leaves?
marram grass