BIOLOGY90462

Describe diversity in the structure and function of animals

GASEXCHANGE

Note:Studentsareexpectedtodemonstrateunderstandingofdiversityinstructureandfunctionoverthreetaxonomicor
functionalgroupsofmulticellularanimals.Thesenotescoverfourdifferentgroups.

Definitions
alveolimicroscopicairsacsinthelungswheregasexchangeoccurs
breathingmechanicalmovementofthebodytoinhaleandexhaleair
bronchitwotubesconnectingthelungstothetrachea
bronchiolessmallconnectingtubesbetweenthebronchiandthealveoliwithinthelungs
capillariesveryfinebloodvesselswhichpassindividualcells
chitinpolysaccharidematerialfoundintheexoskeletonsofinsects
closedcirculatorysystemthebloodneverleavesthenetworkofbloodvessels
concentrationgradientchangesinconcentrationbetweenoneareaandanother
countercurrentwaterflowsoverthegillsintheoppositedirectiontotheblood
diaphragmmuscularlayerwhichseparatesthechestfromtheabdomen,movesupand
downforbreathing
diffusionmovementofparticlesfromanareaofhighconcentrationtoanareaoflower
concentration
exhalationdiaphragmactioncausingairtoleavethelungs
gasexchangetheexchangeofO2&CO2acrossasemipermeablemembrane
gillsgasexchangeorganinfish
gillarchessupportthegills;normally4oftheseoneithersideofthebody,composedof
manyfilamentsthatareeachcoveredinmanylamellae
gillfilamentsprojectfromthegillarchesandaremadeupofthegilllamellae
gilllamellaecontainbloodcapillaries,whichhavebloodflowingintheoppositedirectionto
thewater;sitewhereO2istransferredintothebloodofthefish
haemoglobinredbloodpigmentthatcarriesoxygen
gillrakersbonyprojectionalongfrontedgeofgillthatcollectsfoodparticles
inhalationchestactioncausingairtoenterthelungs
lunggasexchangesurfaceofairbreathingvertebrates
opencirculatorysystemasysteminwhichfluidinacavitybathestheorgansdirectlywithoxygen
andnutrientsandthereisnodistinctionbetweenbloodandinterstitialfluid
operculumagillcoveringtoprotectthegillsurface(andletthewaterescape)
permeablemembranethatallowscertainparticlestopassthroughit
respirationchemicalprocessthatbreaksdownfoodtoreleaseenergy
spiraclesrowofsmallopeningsonthesideofthoraxandabdomenininsects
surfacearea:volumeratiotheamountofsurfaceareaperunitvolumeofanobject
tracheaininsects,largevesselsthatcarryairthroughoutthebody;inmammals,windpipe,
thetubethatconnectsthemouthandnosetothelungs
tracheolessmallvesselsthatcarryairdirectlytoindividualcellsininsects
ventilationtheexchangeofairbetweenthelungsandtheatmospheresothatoxygencan
beexchangedforcarbondioxideinthealveoli

Allanimalsmustexchangegaseswithenvironmenttocarryoutrespiration

gasexchangetheintakeofO2andreleaseofCO2

breathingthemechanicalmovementofthebodytoinhaleandexhaleair

cellularrespirationenergyreleaseprocesscarriedoutinthemitochondriaofalllivingcells

KeyIdeas
Rawmaterialsareavailablefromdifferentmediums,oxygenfromair(mammals,insects,worm)or
water(fish).
Challengeofdifferentenvironmentsandmetabolicrequirements.
Animalgroupsshowdiversitytosolverequirementsformetabolismandsize,andbecauseofthe
mediumtheylivein.

Characteristicsofanefficientgasexchangesystem

largesurfacearea

permeablemembrane

moist

maintainingaconcentrationgradient

thin

shortdiffusiondistance

INSECTS

diffusionisadequateforsmallinvertebratese.g.worms,whileotherssuchasinsectsrequireda
trachealsystemastheyhavehigherenergyrequirements;gasesneedtobetransporteddirectlyto
therespiringtissues

opencirculatorysystem

trachealsystem
o
tinyholescalledspiraclesalongthesideoftheinsect
havetheabilitytoopenandclosespiracles;spiraclescanbeclosedby
valvesandmaybesurroundedbytinyhairsthathelpkeephumidity
aroundtheopening,toensurethereisalowerconcentrationgradient
main trachea
ofwatervapour,andsolessislostfromtheinsectbyevaporation
o
o
o
o
o

inhaledairinthespiracleshasagreaterconcentrationofoxygenthan
cytoplasmthereforetheO2freelydiffusesintothecytoplasm
chitinispresenttopreventcollapsingoftrachea
fluidatthetopsoftracheolesinwhichthegasesaredissolved
widedistributionoftracheolesthroughinsecttissues
wingmovementtooptimiseairuptake

spiracles

finely branched
tracheae (tracheoles)

FISH

gills
o
gillsprotectedbyoperculum
o
movementofwaterthroughmouthandacrossgillsurfaces
o
filamentstructure;filamentshavemanyprotrusionscalledgilllamellae.Thefoldsarekept
supportedandmoistbythewaterthatiscontinuallypumpedthroughthemouthandoverthe
gills,ifwaterisabsentthegillscollapsegreatlyreducingthereefficiency
o
numerousfoldstogillstructureincreasingsurfaceareasomoreefficientgasexchange
o
fishneedtoconstantlygulpwater,theyoftenswimupstreamtomaintainaconstantflowof
water

closedcirculatorysystem

moredifficultforfishtogettherequiredamountofO2fromthewatercomparedwithmammals
becausetheconcentrationofdissolvedoxygeninwaterislessthan1%
%differenceofdissolvedoxygeninsurroundingwatercomparedtothedissolvedoxygeninthe
blood.
o
useofthecountercurrentflowtomaintainefficientgasexchangeinfish;waterflowingpast
thegillsintheoppositedirectiontotheblood

water

water

blood

blood

Ifflowingthesamewayonly50%of
O2inthewatercanbeexchanged

Ifcountercurrent(waterandblood
flowinginoppositedirections)85%ofO2
inthewatercanbeexchanged

dissolvedgasesdiffusefasterbetweenfluidswithalargedifferenceingasconcentration
asthebloodflowsintheoppositedirectiontothewater,bloodiscontinuallymeetingfresh
waterwithahigherpercentagesaturationofoxygentheconcentrationgradientis
maintainedacrossthegilllamellaandoxygencontinuestodiffuseintotheblood
o
efficientfishextract80%oftheO2fromthe1%oftheO2dissolvedinwater
o
forafish,trachealsystemwouldbetooheavy,whilelungswouldrequirevastamountsof
watertoextractsufficientoxygen

MAMMALS

lungsystem/diaphragm;lungsprovidelarge,moist
surfaceareaforgasexchange

closedcirculatorysystem

lungsareinternal;internalgasexchangesystemreduces
waterlossbyevaporation

gasexchangesurfaceofamammalisthealveolus,which
aregrapelikestructuresattheendsofthebronchioleand
aresurroundedbybloodcapillaries

tracheaconnectedtotheoutsidebythemouthandnose,
splittingintotwobronchioneforeachlungand
numerousbronchioles,supplythenumerousalveoliair
sacswithgases
o
o

airismoistenedasitpassesthroughthemouthandnose;gaseswillnotdiffuseunlesstheyare
dissolvedinwater
diaphragmrelaxesreducingthepressureinsidethelungs,drawingthegasesintothebodywhile
whenthediaphragmcontractsitincreasesthepressureinsidethelungspushingtheairoutofthe
body
theconcentrationgradientoftherespiratorygasesismaintainedbecause
o
bloodsupplyisextensive,whichmeansthatoxygeniscarriedawaytothecellsassoonasit
hasdiffusedintotheblood.
o
ventilationmovementsmaintaintheconcentrationgradientsbecauseairisregularlymoving
inandoutofthelungs
o
the%differenceofoxygenininhaledvsexhaledairinthealveolihelpsmaintainthe
concentrationgradient
shapeofalveolitomaximisesurfacearea;massivesurfaceareathroughwhichgasescandiffuse
warmingandcleaningoftheairasitcomesthroughthenoseinordertominimisealveolidamage
andimproverateofdiffusion

WORMS
externalgasexchangesystem
skinprovideslarge,moistsurfaceareacomparedwithbodysizeforgasexchangeduetobeinglong
andthin
gasexchangesurfaceofawormsistheirskin
opencirculatorysystem
skiniskeptmoistbythemucusglandsbelowtheskinssurfacesecretingamoisteningfluidontothe
skin
wormsonlyliveindampareasandarenocturnalsotheirskindoesntdryoutandgasexchange
stop
ifsoiltoowetwillcometosurfaceotherwisetheydrow;ifsoiltoodrywillburrowdeepertowhere
thesoilismoist
wormsareoftenredincolourduetothenetworkofbloodvesselsjustbelowtheskinssurface
thedistancegasesmustdiffuseisveryshort

Maincapillary
Wormscanusetheirskinforgasexchangealthoughtheyare
quitelargebecausetheyhave
o
alowmetabolicrateanddontrequirelargeamounts
Hearts
ofO2
o
amoistsurfacewithlargenetworkofbloodvesselsin
skinallowsforveryefficientgasexchangebetween
airandblood
o
wormscirculatorysystemcontainshaemoglobinin
Ventralvessel Capillary
theblood
o
thelong,thinbodyshapeincreasesthesurfaceareaforgasexchange
o
thebloodvesselsareveryclosetothesurfacecreatingaveryshortdiffusiondistance

Diagramsmaybeusedinyourresponse,buttheymustbeclearlylabelled.