Transport in Animals Flashcards
What are the 5 reasons animals need specialised transport systems?
- high metabolic demands
- sa:vol ratio is smaller so larger diff. distances and smaller sa to absorb/ remove substances
- hormones/ enzymes made in one place, needed in another
- food needs to be transported to every cell for use in respiration and cell metabolism
- waste products of metabolism need to be removed from cells and transported to excretory organs
mass flow
movement of fluids down a pressure or temperature gradient
diffusion
net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration
circulatory system
transport system carrying gases, nutrients, waste products, hormones around the body
common features of circulatory systems
- liquid transport medium (blood)
- vessels carrying transport medium
- pumping mechanism to move the fluid around the system
open circulatory system
circulatory system with a heart but few vessels to contain the transport medium
haemocoel
- body cavity in an open circulatory system
- transport medium under low pressure
- comes into direct contact with tissues and cells
in the haemocoel the transport medium is under …… pressure
low
in what type of animals are open circulatory systems often found?
invertebrates (most insects and molluscs)
haemolymph
the transport medium (blood) in insects
closed circulatory system
circulatory system where blood is enclosed in blood vessels and does not come into direct contact with the cells of the body beyond the blood vessels
in what type of animals are closed circulatory systems often found?
all vertebrate groups (incl. mammals)
echinoderms
cephalopod molluscs
single circulatory system
circulatory system where the blood flows through the heart and is pumped out to travel all around the body before returning to the heart
double circulatory system
circulatory system where blood travels twice through the heart for each complete circulation of the body.
1st - blood from heart -> lungs
2nd - ox blood from heart -> brain & r.o. body
what limits the efficiency of single circulatory systems?
- blood has to pass through 2 very narrow capillary vessels
- blood pressure in the system drops really low so blood returns slowly to the heart
- > reduced efficiency of exchange processes
- > usually only animals with low activity levels
how can fish be so active and yet have a single closed circulatory system?
- system relatively efficient
- countercurrent gas exchange in gills
- body weight supported by water they live in
- do not maintain their own body temp
what is the function of elastic fibres in the blood vessels?
can stretch and recoil
provide vessel walls with flexibility & enable it to withstand force of blood leaving heart
what is the function of smooth muscle in the blood vessels?
contract or relax
change the size of the lumen to control flow of blood
what is the function of collagen in the blood vessels?
structural support
maintains shape and volume of the vessel
artery structure
- walls have collagen outer layer, smooth muscle and elastic fibres.
- lined by smooth endothelial cells and have
- small lumen
arteries mostly carry …….. blood except in the ……
oxygenated blood pulmonary artery (umbilical artery in pregnancy)
which blood vessel is under the most pressure?
arteries
how is a continuous flow of blood achieved in the arteries?
elastic fibres recoil and return to their original length in between contractions of the heart. Helps to even out surges of blood pumped from heart and gives continuous flow
arterioles link
arteries and capillaries
arteriole structure
arterioles have more smooth muscle and less elastin in their walls than arteries
- little pulse surge
- can constrict or dilate to control flow of blood into individual organs
(both have collagen)
vasoconstriction. what do the arterioles do?
smooth muscle in arteriole wall contracts and prevents blood flowing into a capillary bed.
vasodilation. what do the arterioles do?
smooth muscle in the arteriole wall relaxes and blood flows freely into capillary bed
what do capillaries link?
arterioles and venules
diameter of capillary lumen
7-8um
how are capillaries adapted for their function?
- large SA for diffusion of gases into and out of blood
- walls are 1 endothelial cell thick, so short diff. distance
- blood flow through capillaries is slow to increase time for exchange of materials between blood and cells
3 adaptations that enable the body to return low pressure blood to the heart against gravity
- most veins have 1 way valves at intervals to prevent backflow of blood by closing when it flows the wrong way
- muscles contract and squeeze the veins, forcing blood towards the heart
- breathing movements of the chest act as a pump (pressure changes and squeezing actions move blood in the veins of the chest and abdomen towards the heart)
what type of cells make up capillaries?
flattened endothelial cells
pulmonary artery transports…
deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs
pulmonary vein transports…
oxygenated blood from the lungs towards the heart
inferior vena cava transports…
deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the heart
superior vena cava transports…
deoxygenated blood from the head and upper body to the heart
blood pressure in the veins is relatively
low
what do some medium sized veins have to prevent the back flow of blood
valves
vein structure
- walls have lots of collagen in outer layer, smooth muscle and little elastic fibre.
- lined by smooth endothelial cells
- wide lumen
venules link
capillaries to veins
venule structure
- very thin walls
- a little smooth muscle
- no elastin or collagen
why are there gaps between endothelial cells in capillaries (apart from in CNS)?
to allow substances to pass from capillaries into tissue fluid
what does plasma carry?
dissolved substances:
- glucose
- amino acids
- mineral ions
- hormones
- large plasma proteins
- erythrocytes
- leucocytes
- platelets
what are some examples of large plasma proteins?
- albumin maintains osmotic potential of blood - fibrinogen blood clotting - globulins transport and immune system
platelets
- fragments of large cells called megakaryocytes (found in red bone marrow)
- involved in blood clotting