Unit 1 Topic 1BC Mammalian Transport System Flashcards
define diffusion
- free movement of particles in a liquid or a gas down a concentration gradient
- movement from area of particles in high concentration to relatively low concentration
what kinds of species can survive with diffusion
- single-celled organisms (amoeba)
- microscopic multicelular organisms (marine larvae)
why is diffusion sufficient for single-celled organisms / microscopic multicellular organisms
- small diffusion distance from outside to innermost areas of cells
- small organism = large surface area to volume ratio = larger surface area for diffusion
- low metabolic demands (do not regulate own temperature, do not use much oxygen, food)
define mass transport system
- arrangement of structures by which substances are transported in the flow of a fluid with a mechanism for moving it around the body
- overcome the limits of diffusion between the internal and external environments
- delivered over short distances from the mass transport system to individual cells by processes (diffusion, osmosis, active transport)
features of a mass transport system
1.Exchange surfaces to get materials into and out of the transport system
2.System of vessels that carry substances (tubes, specific routes, widespread and branching)
- Make sure substances are moved in the right direction (nutrients in and waste out)
- Moving materials fast enough to supply the need of the organism (mechanical methods: pumping of the heart)
3.Suitable transport medium (fluid)
- Adapting the rate of transport to the needs of the organisms
why do multicellular animals require mass transport system
The need for transport in multicellular animals: Chemical substances be transported into or removed from cells or moved around the body
- Requires glucose and oxygen for cellular respiration
- Produces toxic waste product carbon dioxide = removed before causing damage
- Chemicals made in a cell of one part of body: hormone ⇒ insulin / adrenaline
Explain how haemoglobin acts as a pH buffer in blood during the transport of carbon dioxide
- Carbon dioxide reacts with water in the cytoplasm of red blood cells to form carbonic acid
- Reference to carbonic anhydrase
- Carbonic acid dissociates into hydrogen ions and hydrogencarbonate ions
- Hydrogen ions bind with haemoglobin to form haemoglobinic acid
- This reduces the amount of hydrogen ions that lower the pH of blood
Describe how the aorta is adapted to accommodate sudden increases in the blood flow
- Elastic fibres in the aorta can stretch when blood flow into the aorta suddenly increases
- The lumen of aorta widens
- The wall of aorta contains collagen to increase the strength
What mainly provides for the main force of blood flow in veins
- Contraction of skeletal muscles lying next to veins
- Skeletal muscles lying next to veins contract
- Veins are being squeezed
- Volume of part of veins being squeezed decreases -> blood pressure inside that part of veins increase -> force semi-lunar valves open
- Backflow of blood is prevented by closure of valves (blood pressure up > blood pressure down)
- Blood forced to flow toward heart
Outer layers of arteries and veins
Outer layer: fibrous tissue -> maintain blood vessel wall structure
Properties of the middle layer of arteries and veins
Middle layer: smooth muscles, thick wall, elastic tissues (arteries thicker)
- smooth muscles: contraction and relaxation can cause constriction and dilation of blood vessel
- thick wall: withstand high blood pressure due to pumping action of heart
- elastic tissues: distend and recoil to maintain a continuous blood flow under high blood pressure through the arteries -> diminish fluctuations of blood pressure
Properties of inner layer of arteries and veins
Inner layer: endothelium -> provide a smooth surface for rapid flow of blood over its surface with little resistance
-> arteries have a smaller lumen than veins
Properties of capillaries (7)
- Differentially permeable
- Numerous branches of capillary network penetrate tissue
- One-cell thick endothelium wall
- Network highly branched
- Large total cross-sectional area
- Diameter slightly larger than that of red blood cells
- Presence of gaps between endothelial cells of walls of capillary
Properties of coronary artery
- Supplies oxygen and nutrients (e.g. glucose) to cardiac muscle -> undergo respiration to release energy for muscle contraction
- Contains myoglobin
Define and state the function of myoglobin
a respiratory pigment that has stronger affinity for oxygen than haemoglobin-> stores oxygen for respiration, producing energy for heart muscles to contract
State the process of blood clotting
- Thromboplastin catalyzes the conversion of prothrombin (large soluble protein) found in blood all the time
- Prothrombin is converted to thrombin, a soluble enzyme, in the presence of calcium ion. Prothrombin is a biologically inactive precursor of biologically active thrombin
- Thrombin catalyzes the conversion of fibrinogen (fibrous soluble plasma protein) to fibrin (fibrous insoluble protein). Fibrinogen is a biologically inactive precursor of biologically active fibrin
- Fibrin forms a mesh of fibres to cover the wound
- More platelets and red blood cells gets trapped in fibrin mesh, forming a clot
It is possible to reduce the risk of CVD by taking medication or changing diet. Explain the role of antihypertensive drugs
- Antihyperintensive drugs lower blood pressure
- Lower blood pressure reduces risk of damage to endothelium of the artery
- Reduced risk of inflammatory response
- Reduced risk of {atheroma / plaque} formation
Explain how a change in the primary structure of Factor VIII (an enzyme that is involved in the process of blood clotting) could cause difficulties with blood clotting
- Different primary structure -> different sequence of amino acids
- Change in R groups changes tertiary structure
- Changing shape of active site prevents substrate from being able to bind
- Reducing production of fibrin
The baby survived because of a hole in the septum of the heart. Explain how the hole in the septum allowed this baby to survive.
- The hole allows oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix (between the two ventricles)
- Oxygenated blood {travels to the body / enters aorta} / deoxygenated blood {travels to the lungs / enters pulmonary artery}
- Providing some oxygen for respiration
How human lungs are adapted for efficient gas exchange
- Fick’s law suggests that the diffusion rate is proportional to the surface area
1.Lungs contain large number of highly folded alveoli which are
- Covered with a dense network of blood capillaries
- Increases the surface area for gas exchange by diffusion
2.Dense network of capillary has a continuous flow of oxygenated blood to and deoxygenated blood away from the alveoli
- Maintaining a steep concentration gradient
3.Alveolar and capillary walls are one cell thick
- The walls are made from a single layer of endothelial cells
- Provides a short distance for diffusion of gases
- increase rate of diffusion
- These features increase the gas exchange by diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide between alveoli and blood in surrounding capillaries
Why multicellular animals require a respiratory and circulatory system
- Relatively small SA to volume ratio
- Diffusion on body surface is not enough because
- Gas exchange by diffusion is too slow to supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from all body cells
- A respiratory system provides a larger SA to compensate for the smaller SA: V ratio
Why smaller animals do not need a specialized gas exchange system
- Small body size, so it has low activity
- It has a large SA:V ratio so
- Distance between body surface and innermost body cells/parts are short
- Hence gas exchange by diffusion alone is sufficient to provide oxygen for respiration of cells to produce energy for metabolic need.
Suggest how double circulation enables mammals to carry out effective gas exchange
- Double circulatory system separates oxygenated and deoxygenated blood
- Ensures deoxygenated blood delivers to alveoli for gas exchange
- Oxygenated blood is delivered to body cells
- Maintaining the steep concentration gradient for effective gas exchange
- Ensures different pressures in the heart. Blood pumps at a lower pressure to the lungs to prevent the alveoli from being damaged.
How does the structure of haemoglobin cause S oxygen dissociation curve
- Haemoglobin composed of four subunits
- Binding of the first oxygen molecule is difficult but
- Binding of the other molecules becomes easier and there is cooperative binding
- Due to a conformational change
- As haemoglobin becomes saturated less oxygen can bind so the curve flattens out