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2.1 (I) Know The Properties of Gas Exchange Surfaces in Living Organisms 15
2.1 (I) Know The Properties of Gas Exchange Surfaces in Living Organisms 15
1 (i) know the properties of gas exchange surfaces in living organisms (large surface area to
volume ratio, thickness of surface and difference in concentration)
Organisms require a supply of chemical substances e.g. glucose and oxygen for cellular respiration.
These are usually transported from outside of a cell into a cell.
While respiration supplies energy for other other reactions of life, it also produces waste products
(e.g. carbon dioxide) that need to be removed from the cells or else they may cause damage to the
living organism.
To undergo aerobic respiration, living organisms need oxygen and produce waste carbon dioxide.
amoeba is a eukaryotic (complex) organism that is microscopic in size and moves via retracting
arm- like pseudopods.
Single-celled organisms and microscopic multicellular organisms do not need a specialized
system for gas exchange.
Surface area to volume ratio is the key factor that determines whether or not the organism has a
specialized gas exchange system or any other specialized transport systems (e.g. circulatory
system).
Single-celled organisms and small microscopic multicellular organisms have a large surface area to
volume ratio
• Substances diffuse into or out of a cell through the cell membrane (the “surface”)
• Their surface area in contact with the outside environment is very large when compared to the
volume of the inside of the organism (i.e. large surface area to volume ratio SA:Vol)
Single-celled organisms and small microscopic multicellular organisms have a large surface area to
volume ratio
• They have less parts and less demand for nutrients and energy
• They do not regulate their own temperature and the cells do not use much oxygen/nutrient or
produce much carbon dioxide
The SA:Vol ratio of this tiny jellyfish larva is relatively large, so simple diffusion is enough to supply
all its needs and remove waste products.
Single-celled organisms and microscopic multicellular organisms can achieve all their needs/
removal of wastes by diffusion so they do not need specialized transport systems.
(2) Surface area: volume ratio decreases (3) Increasing levels of activity
. There is less surface area for the absorption of nutrients and gases and excretion of waste
products.
• In addition, the greater volume results in
a longer diffusion distance to the cells and tissues of the organism.
Once SA:VOL is too small, we have to think about many ways to supply all of our cells and remove
waste products in more efficient way. .
Imagine trucks delivering to different areas at different times. One way would not work.
Complex organisms have evolved to have specialized gas exchange systems which take in oxygen
and remove carbon dioxide
2.1 (iii) understand how the structure of the mammalian lung is adapted for rapid gaseous
exchange
The human gas exchange system
Nasal cavity
• main route for air to enter the system
• has relatively large surface area but no gas exchange takes place here
• has good blood supply to to warm the air
• the lining secretes mucus and is covered with hair
• the hairs and mucus filter out and remove dust, small particles and pathogens such as bacteria in
inhaled air. This protects the lungs from damage and infection
• moist surfaces increase the level of water vapor in the air
Mouth
air enter the gas exchange system, but misses out on the cleaning, warming and moistening effects
of the nasal route
Epiglottis
A flap of tissue that closes over the glottis in a reflex action when food is swallowed, preventing
food from entering the gas exchange system
Larynx
The voice box, which uses the flow of air across it to produce sounds.
Trachea
The major airway to the bronchi, lined with cells including mucus-secreting goblet cells. Cilia on the
surface of the trachea move mucus and any trapped microorganisms and dust away from the lungs
Bronchioles
Small tubes that spread through the lungs and end in alveoli. Their main function is still as an
airway, but some gas exchange may occur.
Alveoli
The main site of gas exchange in the lungs
Ribs:
Protective bony cage
Intercostal muscles:
Found between the ribs and it is important in breathing. They allow air to move into and out of the
lungs to maintain a steep concentration gradient for rapid gas exchange.
Control movement of the rib cage
Pleural membrane:
Surround the lungs and line the chest cavity forming a sterile, sealed unit
Pleural cavity:
Space between the pleural membranes, usually filled with a thin layer of lubricating fluid that allows
the membranes to slide easily with breathing movements
Diaphragm:
Broad sheet of tissue made of tendon and muscle that forms the floor of the chest cavity, also
important in breathing
Alveoli (singular: alveolus) are tiny air sacs responsible for most of the gas exchange in human
lungs.
Each alveolus:
- is made of a single layer of flatten epithelial cells
- has dense network of blood capillaries that surround it
- held to the blood capillary’s wall by a layer of elastic connective tissue, which plays a role in
exhalation
- is coated by a layer of lung surfactant (a special phospholipid) that prevents the alveoli from
collapsing
The alveoli provide an enormous surface area for gas exchange (about 10-18 table tennis tables).
The air within the alveoli is constantly being refreshed with air by inhalation. The continuous blood
flow in capillaries maintains a steep concentration gradient on the capillary side.
Movement of gases into and out of the alveoli is mainly by diffusion, but the movement of air into
and out of the lungs is by a mass transport system.
Presence of phagocytic white blood cells to keep alveoli free of most pathogen (disease-causing
microorganisms).
The liquid lung surfactant on the inner surface of alveoli is a special phospholipid that helps lower
surface tension, which keeps the alveoli from collapsing after exhalation and makes breathing easy.
Summary
Why do we need a ventilation system?
1)We are large organisms.
• Oxygen cannot diffuse into all our cells directly from the air, nor can waste products be directly
ejected from the body.
• We have specialized organ systems, which are efficient, but need delivery of nutrients and removal
of waste. The ventilation system ensures the blood can be the medium for this.
2)We are land-borne.
• Gases need moist surfaces (membranes) in order
to diffuse. Our lungs are moist membranes, allowing oxygen to diffuse into the blood and carbon
dioxide to diffuse out.
The ventilation system maintains a large concentration gradient between the alveoli and the blood.
• The constant flow of past the alveoli brings
blood with a high CO2 concentration and low
O2 concentration.
• Breathing out keeps the CO2 concentration in
the alveoli low, so it diffuses out of the blood.
• Breathing in keeps O2 concentration in the
alveoli high, so it diffuses into the blood.
Force exhalation examples: singing long notes, cough (force mucus out from respiratory system)
1.6 understand why many animals have a heart and circulation (mass transport to overcome the
limitations of diffusion in meeting the requirements of organisms)
Organisms require a supply of chemical substances e.g. glucose and oxygen for cellular respiration.
These are usually transported from outside of a cell.
While respiration supplies energy for other other reactions of life, it also produces toxic waste
products that need to be removed from the cells or else they cause damage to the living organism.
As the overall ‘size’ of the organism increases, the surface area to volume ratio decreases. This is
because volume increases much more rapidly than surface area as size increases.
Features of single-celled organisms and microscopic multicellular organisms that allow them to
survive through diffusion of substances:
• Short diffusion distance between the external environment and the innermost areas of the cells.
• Large surface area to volume ratio.
• Low metabolic demand (the organisms do not regulate their own temperature and the cells do not
use much oxygen and food or produce much metabolic waste e.g. carbon dioxide).
A single circulatory system is a transport system whereby the heart pumps the blood to the organs
of gas exchange and the blood then travels around the body before returning to the heart.
A double circulatory system is a transport system that involves two separate circulation systems:
1. Pulmonary circulation
Carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the gas exchange organs for blood to become
oxygenated and then carries the oxygenated blood back to the heart.
2. Systemic circulation
carries oxygenated blood from the
heart to body cells where oxygen and nutrients are received while carbon dioxide and metabolic
wastes are removed. Then, deoxygenated blood is carried back to the heart.
The separate circuits of a double circulatory system ensure that the
(1) oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood cannot mix, so the tissues receive as much oxygen
as possible for respiration
(2) Fully oxygenated blood can be delivered quickly to the body tissues under high pressure.
How does double circulation ensure the transport of blood under high pressure to body tissues?
• Blood pressure and speed drops significantly when blood enters capillaries.
This is to prevent the blood vessels from damage and allow the exchange of
gases/nutrients/metabolic wastes to take place.
• In a single circulatory system, the blood has to pass through two capillary
networks before returning to the heart.
• In a double circulatory system, the blood only passes through one capillary
network (e.g. in the lungs of human) before returning to the heart.
• Then, the heart pumps blood under much higher pressure and speed to
body tissues.
• This increased pressure and speed helps blood to reach the capillaries
quickly and maintain a steeper concentration gradient. These allow for the more efficient exchange
of nutrients/waste between the body cells and blood capillaries.
Cross-section of an artery
Importance of elastic fibers in the wall of arteries
• Each heartbeat increases the pressure of blood flow into the arteries. Therefore, major arteries
close to the heart must withstand such pressure surge.
• Elastic fibres are highly abundant in the walls of major arteries.
• Elastic fibres allow the arteries to withstand high blood pressure because they stretch to
accommodate large volume of blood without being damaged.
• These elastic fibres would recoil (return its original length) to maintain blood pressure and
squeeze the blood to move along the arteries in a continuous flow. Note that this elastic recoil is not
trying to ‘pump blood’ along the arteries.
Vein
Blood vessel that transports blood to the heart.
Capillaries
● Forms networks that link the arterioles and the venules.
● Are very small vessels that spread throughout the tissues of the body. No cell body cell is far
away from a capillary.
● Carries blood with nutrients and oxygen to body cells and take away blood with waste materials
from body cells.