FISH RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
gulping or letting out excess air
Gills
Dense capillary beds in the
branchial region
Supported by gill arches where
gill filaments extend that have
the capillaries
Gill rakers are important for
feeding
*Dense capillary beds designed
for water breathing; external
respiration
Types of Gills
1.) Internal Gills
Observed inside the body
Always associated with
pharyngeal slits and pouches
Often covered and protected by
skin folds, operculum
In chondrichthyes, skinfolds are
internal branchial septum
Ventilation involves muscular
pump (e.g. buccal cavity)
2.) External Gills
Protrude into the surrounding
water
Found in larval stage of
vertebrates
Ventilation is dependent on
water current
In stagnant water, specialized
muscles are present to swift
muscles back and forth.
Fish Accessory Glands: Gas
Bladders
Air-filled sacs
More dominant for hydrostatic
function for buoyancy
Types of Gas Bladders
1.) Physostomus
Gas bladder connected to
pharynx via pneumatic duct
Air volume is controlled by
through pneumatic duct.
2.) Physoclistous
No connection between gas
bladder and pharynx.
Air volume is controlled by
capillaries and blood vessels.
Gill Ventilation: Counter-Current
Mechanism
Blood flows through lamellae in
the opposite direction of water
flow
Results in concentration
gradient
Ventilation through the Gills
1.) RAM Ventilation
Forward movement contribute
to gill ventilation
No muscles of pump involved
2.) Dual Pump Mechanism
Observed in most gnathostomes
Involves two muscular pumps
1.) Buccal Pump
2.) Opercular Pump
If both cavities are expanded,
more water is drawn inside.
If both cavities are contracted,
more water is expelled.
VENTILATION IN AGNATHANS
Ammocoete larva of lamprey
have gills with pumps:
1.) Velum
2.) Compression and Expansion
of Branchial apparatus
Water is drawn inside by open
velum and relaxed muscles
Water is drawn out by closed
velum and muscular
compression of branchial
apparatus
 Adult lampreys ventilation is
aided by pharyngeal slits
Tidal gill ventilation is observed
where water enters and exits
through one structure.
For Hagfishes, velum and
branchial pouches. Water enters
nostrils and nares.
VENTILATION IN
CHONDRICHTHYES
Have gill filaments known as
holobranch in both sides of gill
archs
Conduct RAM ventilation and
dual pump mechanism
Spiracle in sharks will not
function for respiratory function.
Skates and rays have spiracles
for respiratory function.
*Dual Pump Mechanism Buccal
pump = increased Perssure;
Parobranchial pump = decreased
pressure.
VENTILATION IN OSTEICHTHYES
Dual pump mechanism (buccal
and opercular)
H2O Mouth Operculum
VENTILATION IN LUNGFISHES
Dual pump mechanism is
modified, four stroke buccal
pump
1.) Buccal expansion: lungs to
mouth
2.) Buccal compression: force
gas out the nares
3.) Buccal expansion: draw
fresh air via the nares
4.) Buccal compression: Force
air into the lungs
TETRAPOD RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Resiratory Surfaces
1.) Integument
Main respiratory surface in
lungless salamanders
Supplementary in anurans, sea
snakes and bats
Birds do not undergo cutaneous
respiration because its dermis is
highly vascularized and birds
have feathers.
Area with reduced scales
(cloaca of turtles), cutaneous
respiration is possible
Some larva of teleosts have
cutaneous respiration
2.) Lungs
Designed for air breathing
Pair of elastic bags that lie
within the body
Volume of lungs changes during
inhalation and exhalation
Arise as an unpaired
invagination, the lung bud
(From endodermal outpocketing
of the pharynx)
Primitive fishes and most
tetrapods, lungs are usually
paired
In amniotes, lungs are
connected in the outside
environment through trachea
(glottis is the slit opening to the
trachea)
Trachea will branch to left and
right bronchus that will have
branches called bronchioles.
Site of Gas Exchange in the Lungs
Faveoli are internal
subdibvisions of the lungs
Alveoli are found at the end of
highly branched tracheal
system
Amphibian Lungs: Simple Sacs
Long in urodeles
Bulbous in anurans
Shape of lungs depends on the
shape of pleuroperitoneal cavity
Left lung rudimentary in
caecilians
 Few centimeters long in
salamanders living in mountain
streams
Absent in Plethodontid
salamanders
Reptilian Lungs
Usually paired
Single lung developed in
snakes; left lung is reduced
Avian Lungs
Have paired lungs and nine
avascular air sacs connected to
the lungs (5 Anterior air sacs
and 4 Posterior air sacs)
Anterior air sacs
(1) Interclavicular Sac
(2-3) Cervical Sac
(4-5) Anterior Thoracic Sac
Posterior Sacs
(1-2) Posterior Thoracic Sac
(3-4) Abdominal Sac
Two primary bronchi of trachea
are called mesobranchi that do
not enter the lungs but extend
posteriorly to reach the
posterior air sacs.
Along the way, the primary
bronchi form branches called
secondary bronchi that leads to
parabronchi of lungs
One parabronchus have air
capillaries that are adjacent to
blood capillaries
Oxygen diffuses from air
capillaries within parabronchus
to blood capillaries; CO2 diffuses
reversely
The thinwalls of air and blood
capillaries constitute the sites of
gas exchange
Unidirectional flow of gas.
Mammalian Lungs
Air enters in a tracheal system
(in branches)
Bronchioles terminate into
alveolar ducts composed of
clusters of alveolar sacs where
gas exchange occurs
Mammalian air flow ends in
alveoli
Respiratory Duct or Tract
1.) Internal nares first observed in
lobe-finned fishes
External nares of mammals or
tetrapods is connected to
oropharyngeal via internal
nares.
Whales are mammals that do
not have nose but have nostrils,
blowhole, directly connected to
trachea.
2.) Larynx short passageway
between glottis and upper end of
trachea; voicebox
Walls of larynx are supported by
cartilage
Nonmammalian larynx have
arytenoid cartilage and cricoid
cartilage
Mammalian larynx have three
(wuth thyroid cartilage)
3.) Trachea
Trachea is supported by
cartilage to protect it from
collapsing
Bifurcate except for urodeles
4.) Syrinx
Site of bifurcation of birds
Ventilation in Amphibians: Buccal
Pump
Gills for larva; adults have no
gills-cutaneous respiration
Larva have oral sucker (found in
tadpoles); used to establish an
attachment to a rock in a fast
 moving stream; water enters
through the nares
Adults use buccal pump also
known as Pulse Pump
4 Stages of Ventilation
(1) Buccal cavity expands to
draw fresh air through the
nares
(2) Glottis opens, releasing the
spent air from the lungs to the
buccal cavity
-Mixing of air
-Spent air exits through
the opened
nares
(3) Nares closes, buccal cavity
rises and forces fresh air to the
lungs through opened glottis
(4) Glottis will close and nares
will open to draw fresh air
Ventilation in Amniotes:
Aspiration Pump
Air is sucked in by the low
pressure created by the lungs
Action of muscles create low
pressure by expanding volume
(intercostals and diaphragm);
negative pressure; compressing
volume creates positive
pressure
Bidirectional flow and air moves
tidally
Reptiles: Crocodiles
Intercostals contract to expand
rib cage and diaphragmatic
muscle will pull the liver
negative pressure will draw
atmospheric air
Exhalation will be possible by
creating positive pressure;
abdominal muscles will forward
the liver and contract the rib
cage to exhale
Reptiles: Turltes
Presence of shell does not let
expansion of the lungs
Muscle of the shell can contract
and relax to let air in and out
The in and out of their limbs can
alter the pressure in the lungs
Birds
Aspiration pump is highly
modified
Single breathing will be
completed by two cycles of
inhalation and exhalation
(1) Air enters; some will fill
posterior air sacs and some will
go to parabronchi
(2) Air in posterior air sac will
pass it to the lungs that will
push spent air out
(3) Air will refill the posterior air
sac and others will go the
parabronchus thatwill push
remaining air from first breath
to anterior air sacs
(4) Spent air is pushed out of
the lungs with the anterior air
sacs air
Mammals
Intercostals and diaphragm is
involved
Negative pressure draws air
inside; diaphragm flattens;
intercostals contracts
Positive pressure to expel air;
diaphragm relaxes; intercostals
relax