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Biology Form 4 - Chapter 8: Respiratory Systems in Humans and Animals

8.1 - Types of Respiratory Systems

- Respiratory structure is the respiratory surface that enables gaseous exchange to

occur between respiring organism cells and their outer environment.
- Complex and large organisms (ex. Insects, fish, reptiles, and humans) can not carry
out gaseous exchange by diffusion through the body surface (unlike amoeba sp.)
because they have a small TSA/V ratio (total surface area to volume ratio “That
means for large and complex organisms, the volume of the body that requires
oxygen is larger than its total surface area.” Due to this large organisms require
special respiratory structures (for efficient exchange of gases)
- Ex. of respiratory structures
➔ Humans - Aveolus
➔ Insect - Tracheole
➔ The bigger the organism the smaller the TSA/V ratio, while the smaller the
organism the larger the TSA/V ratio

Adaptations of respiratory structures for efficient gaseous exchange in big organisms

- Large TSA/V ratio
- Thin respiratory structure which is one cell thick (allows diffusion to occur)
- Moist surface (for respiratory gases to dissolve in them)
- Complete with a network of blood capillaries *(except for insects) (allows efficient
delivery for respiratory gases)

Insects
Respiratory system: Tracheal system
Respiratory structure: Tracheole
- The intake of air enters through small pores called spiracles (located in the thorax
and abdomen of an insect) and enters the air tube system made up of trachea
(tracheal system)
- The trachea branches out to form finer tubes called tracheoles

Characteristics of Tracheole (that allow for efficient respiratory gaseous exchange)

- Large number of tracheoles which provides large total surface area
- Tracheole wall is thin and moist (allows quick diffusion)

Some insects have air sacs in their tracheal system

- The sac is filled with air to speed up the delivery of respiratory gases to tissues
during active body movements
- Is constantly filled with air
- Provides large surface area
Fish

Frogs

Respiratory system: The skin and pulmonary system

Respiratory structure: Skin and lungs

Characters of skin:
- When a frog is inactive, the exchange of respiratory gases occurs through the skin
- The skin is thin therefore it is highly permeable to respiratory gases
- The skin is moist therefore, respiratory gases can dissolve in it
- Under the skin there network of blood capillaries for the transportation of
respiratory gases
Characteristics of lungs
- Folded to increase surface area
- The membrane of the lung is thin, so respiratory can diffuse (eases diffusion of
respiratory gases)
- The lung walls are moist allowing respiratory gases to dissolve in them
- Has a network of blood capillaries for transportation