GASEOUS EXCHANGE

Chapter # 1
REVISION SUMMARY

1.1: INTRODUCTION:

Animals carry gaseous exchange to provide O2 to every cell in the body. Apart from other
animals photoautotrophs do carry out gaseous exchange.

1.2: GASEOUS EXCHANGE IN PLANTS:

Plants carry out gaseous exchange for the process of Photosynthesis and respiration.
During photosynthesis plants take in CO2 and H2O to produce O2 and during respiration
it takes in O2 to oxidize enery from food. Gaseous exchange takes place through stomata
in leaves. Roots and stems also participate in this process. Stomata are ti y slit like
openings formed by guard cells.

1.3: GASEOUS EXCHANGE IN ANIMALS:

Animals exchange gasses to acquire O2 for all the cells of the body and for the process of
Respiration. The respiratory medium for terrestrial animals is air while for aquatic
animals it is water. All animals require a respiratory surface. The properties of a
respiratory surface are that it should be thin, wet, permeable and large in size and
volume. The proportion of the human respiratory surface is about 20 times the volume of
the whole body.

1.4: GASEOUS EXCHANGE IN HUMANS:

In humans, the process of respiration requires breathing, gaseous exchange and cellular
respiration, while the human respiratory system consists of; paired lungs, thoracic cavity
and the air passage ways.

Lungs are soft and spongy organs, wrapped in two pleural membranes, enclosed in a

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cage of 12 ribs from front to back till the vertebral column. Ribs are joined through
intercostal muscles. Below the lungs the diaphragm is located which separates the thorax
cavity from the abdominal cavity. The lungs contain the respiratory surface; these are
alveolus, small pouch-like single cell layered microscopic organs, enclosed in a dense
capillary network.

The air passage ways consist of trachea, bronchi and bronchioles.

Trachea is the opening of the nasal sacs. It has cartilaginous tissues to keep it from
collapsing. It has a sound box called larynx. It has a lid called epiglottis to keep the food
from entering it. The larynx has a covering called glottis.

The trachea divides into two tubes called bronchi and the bronchi further divide into
bronchioles. Bronchioles are very thin tubes which open into alveoli.

In order to perform gaseous exchange, the gasses are bought inside the lungs through
two processes, inspiration and expiration. The lungs can intake 5 liters of gas at
maximum.

Inspiration is the bringing in of air from the atmosphere. It expands the lungs. The air
moves from high pressure to low pressure.

Expiration is the rushing out of air back into the atmosphere from the lungs. It causes an
increase in pressure in the lungs causing the air to go out.

1.5: GASEOUS EXCHANGE IN ALVEOLI:

Gaseous exchange occurs at alveoli by simple diffusion. The hemoglobin exchanges CO2
and O2 at cellular level.

Breathing is an involuntary process, regulated by the hypothalamus of our brain. Hrn we

exercise our body shifts from aerobic respiration to anaerobic respiration producing
lactic acid. Breakdown of lactic acid requires a lot of oxygen. Deficiency of Oxygen is
called Oxygen Debt.

Artificial ventilators are made for people with defective lungs.

1.6: RESPIRATORY DISORDERS:

Refer to the book please.