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Life Processes 10 Gaseous Exchange

GASEOUS EXCHANGE

Q.01 Differentiate among Gaseous exchange, Breathing & Respiration?

Ans: Gaseous exchange:

The diffusion of gaseous from an area of higher concentration to
an area of lower concentration is known as Gaseous Exchange.

OR

Taking in oxygen and giving out of carbon dioxide is termed as gaseous exchange.

Breathing:

The term breathing is used for the process through which animals take air in their bodies
to get oxygen from it and then give out the air for getting rid of carbon dioxide.

Respiration:

Respiration is the process by which oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide is given out.
The first breath takes place only after birth. Fetal lungs are non-functional. So, during
intrauterine life the exchange of gases between fetal blood and mother’s blood occurs through
placenta. After the first breath, the respiratory process continues throughout the life. Permanent
stoppage of respiration occurs only at death. Respiration is a reflex process. But it can be
controlled voluntarily for a short period of about 40 seconds.
Thus breathing and respiration are not synonymous. Respiration involves the mechanical and the
bio-chemical processes whereas breathing is only the mechanical or physical process of
exchange of gases.

Q. 02 Discuss the Types and Phases of Respiration?

Ans: TYPES OF RESPIRATION:

Respiration is classified into two types:
1. External respiration: that involves exchange of respiratory gases, i.e. oxygen and carbon
dioxide between lungs and blood
2. Internal respiration: the utilization of O2 and production of CO2 by cells and the gaseous
exchanges between the cells and their fluid medium. OR which involves exchange of gases
between blood and tissues.
PHASES OF RESPIRATION:
Respiration occurs in two phases:
1. Inspiration during which air enters the lungs from atmosphere
2. Expiration during which air leaves the lungs.
During normal breathing, inspiration is an active process and expiration is a passive process.
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Q.03 Describe Gaseous exchange in Plants?

Ans: Plants have no organs or systems for the exchange of gases with the environment. Every
cell of the plant body exchanges gases with the environment by its own.

The leaves and young stems have stomata in their epidermis. The inner cells of leaves
(mesophyll) and stems also have air spaces among them, which help in the exchange of gases.

Leaf cells face two situations. During the daytime when the mesophyll cells of leaves are
carrying out photosynthesis and respiration side by side, the oxygen produced in photosynthesis
is utilized in cellular respiration. Similarly the carbon dioxide produced during cellular
respiration is utilized in photosynthesis. However, during night when there is no photosynthesis
occurring, the leaf cells get oxygen from the environment and release carbon dioxide through
stomata. In young stems and leaves, some gaseous exchange also occurs through the cuticle
which is present over their epidermis.

In woody stems and mature roots, the entire surface is covered by bark which is impervious to
gases or water. However, there are certain pores in the layer of bark. These are called the
lenticels. The lenticels are slightly more raised then the general surface of the stems.

Gases diffuse in and out of the general surface of the young roots. The gases are found in the soil
surrounding the roots.

The aquatic plants get the oxygen dissolved in water and release carbon dioxide in the water.

Q.04 Describe Gaseous exchange in Human?

Ans: In Human and other higher animals the exchange of gases is carried out by the respiratory
system.

We can divide the respiratory system in two parts. i.e. the air passageways and the lungs.

The Air Passageway: The air passageway consists of the parts through which the outside air
comes in the lungs and after the exchange of gases it goes out. This passage of air consists of the
following parts.

1. Nose: The nose is only externally visible part of the respiratory system. Human nose is
composed of bones, cartilage and fibro fatty tissues. The external openings of nose are called
nostrils and the inner hollow spaces are called nasal cavities. There are two nasal cavities which
are portioned by means of nasal septum. The anterior part of the nasal cavities near the nostrils is
called vestibules which contain a network of hairs. Both the nostrils and nasal cavities are lined
by mucous membranes along with cilia which filter the dust particles from the air. The mucous
also moisten and warm the incoming air and keep its temperature nearly equal to that of the
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body. Cilia move the trapped substances to the pharynx for their removal. Underneath the
mucous membrane, there are blood capillaries that help to warm the air to about 30Ċ, depending
upon the external temperature.

2. Pharynx: Pharynx is a cone- shaped muscular passageway leading from the oral and nasal
cavities to the esophagus and larynx. The pharynx is part of the digestive system and also the
respiratory system. It is also important in vocalization.

Fig: 10.1. Respiratory System.

The air goes from the pharynx into the larynx. We know that glottis is a narrow opening at the
floor of pharynx which leads into larynx. The glottis is a guarded by a flap of tissue called the
epiglottis.

3. Larynx: The larynx is a box composed of cartilage plates that prevent collapse of the
structure. It is present between pharynx and trachea. It is also called as voice box. Two pairs of
vocal cords having mucous membrane are stretched across the larynx. The vocal cords vibrate
when the air passes through them. This vibration produces sounds. Thus larynx serves for dual
function: as air canal to the lungs and controller of its access, and the organ of phonation (voice
production).

4. Trachea: The trachea or wind pipe is a membranous tube. It is about 12cm long tube which
lies in front of esophagus. It consists of dense regular tissue and smooth muscle reinforced with
15-20C- shaped pieces of cartilage. The cartilages keep the trachea from collapsing even when
there is no air in it.

5. Bronchi and bronchioles: The trachea divides to form two smaller tubes called primary
bronchi. The bronchi also have cartilaginous plates in their walls. The trachea and bronchi are
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also lined with ciliated and glandular cells. Each bronchus enters into the lung of its side and
then divides into smaller branches.

The bronchi continue dividing in the lungs until they make several fine tubes called bronchioles.
The bronchioles progressively lose cartilages as they become narrower. The bronchioles end as
fine tubules called the alveolar ducts. Each alveolar duct opens into the cluster of pouches called
alveoli. The alveoli form the respiratory surface in human body. Each alveolus is a sac like
structure lined by a single layer of epithelial cells having0.1um thickness.. It is bound on the
outside by a network of capillaries. There are over 700 million alveoli present in the lungs,
representing a total surface area of 70-90cm2. The alveoli of human lungs are lined with
surfactant, a film of lipoprotein that lower the surface tension and prevents from closing.
Surfactant also speeds up the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and liquid
lining the alveolus and helps to kill bacteria, which reach the alveoli. Surfactant is a constantly
being secreted and reabsorbed in a healthy lung.

The pulmonary artery from the heart containing deoxygenated blood enters the lungs and
branches into the arterioles and then into the capillaries which surround the alveoli. These then
join together to form the venules which form pulmonary vein. The pulmonary vein carries the
oxygenated blood back to the heart.

The Lungs:

All alveoli on one side constitute a lung. The lungs are principal organ of respiration.
Each lung is conical in shape. There are a pair of lungs in the thoracic cavity. The left lung is
slightly smaller and has two lobes and the right lung is bigger with three lobes. These are spongy
and elastic organs. Both the lungs are covered with a thin membrane called the pleura, which is
in the form of double sac. The membranes enclose a fluid which provides lubrication for the free
expanding and contracting of the lungs. The lungs are connected to the outside by the way of
trachea through the nostrils or mouth. The thorax or chest- cavity is bounded by the ribs and
muscles at the sides, by the sternum on the ventral side, by the backbone on the dorsal side and
by the diaphragm at the posterior end. Diaphragm is a dome-shaped sheet of skeletal muscles. In
between the ribs are intercostals muscles.

Fig: 10.2 Lungs.

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Q.05 Discuss the mechanism of Breathing:

Ans: The physical movements associated with the gaseous exchange are called breathing. There are two
phases of breathing i.e. inhalation and exhalation.

1. Inhalation or Inspiration:

During Inspiration, the rib muscles contract and ribs are raised. At the
same time the dome-shaped diaphragm contracts and is lowered. These movements increase the area of
the thoracic cavity, which reduces the pressure on lungs. As a result, the lungs expand and the air pressure
within them also decreases. The air from outside rushes into the lungs to equalize the pressure on both
sides.

2. Expiration or Exhalation:

After the gaseous exchange in the lungs, the impure air is expelled
out in exhalation. The rib muscles relax brining the ribs back to the original position. The
diaphragm muscles also relax and it gets its raised dome shape. This reduces the space in the
chest cavity and increases the pressure on lungs. The lungs contract and the air are expelled out
of them.

Q.06 Why rate of breathing Increases during Exercise?

Ans: Human breath 16-20 times per minute in normal circumstances i.e. at rest. The rate of
breathing is controlled by the respiratory centre in the brain. The respiratory centre is sensitive to
the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood.

When we do exercise or some hard job our muscle cells carry out cellular respiration at greater
rate. It results in the production of more carbon dioxide which is released in the blood. This
greater than normal concentration of carbon dioxide stimulates the respiratory centre of brain.
The respiratory centre sends messeges to the ribs muscles and diaphragm to increase the rate of
breathing so that the excess carbon dioxide present in blood can be removed out of the body.
During exercise or other hard physical works the breathing rate may up to 30-40 times per
minute.

Q.07 Discuss Disorders of Respiratory system?

Ans: Respiratory Disorders:

There are a number of respiratory disorders which affect people. The

percentage of such disorders is particularly high in Pakistan. It is due to the more concentration
of air pollutants not only in the urban but also in the rural atmosphere. Some of the important
respiratory disorders are described next.
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1. Bronchitis: Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi or bronchioles. It result in the
excessive secretions of mucous into the tubes, leading to the swelling of tubular walls and
narrowing of tubes.

Types: There are two major types of bronchitis i.e. acute and chronic. The acute bronchitis
usually lasts about two weeks and patients recover with no permanent damage to the bronchi or
bronchioles.

In chronic bronchitis, the bronchi develop chronic inflammation. It usually lasts for three
months to two years. The majority of the people diagnosed

Symptoms: Symptoms of bronchitis include a cough, mild wheezing, fever, chills and shortness
of breath (especially when doing hard job).

Causes: It is caused by Viruses, Bacteria or exposure to chemical irritants (e.g. tobacco smoke).

Emphysema: Emphysema is the destruction of walls of the alveoli. It results in larger sacs but
with less surface area for gaseous exchange. As lung tissue breaks down, the lungs do not come
back to their original shape after exhalation. So air cannot be pushed out and is trapped in the
lungs.

Symptoms: The symptoms of emphysema include shortness of breath, fatigue, recurrent

respiratory infections and weight loss. By the time the symptoms of emphysema appear, the
patient has usually lost 50 to 70% his / her lung tissue. The level of oxygen in blood may get so
low that it causes serious complications.

Causes: Environmental pollution is the main cause of emphysema and also due to cigarette
smoke one can gets emphysema.

Pneumonia: Pneumonia is an infection of lungs. If this infection affects both lungs, it is called
double pneumonia. When the causative organisms enter the alveoli, they settle there and grow in
number. They break the lung tissues and the area becomes filled with fluid and pus.

Symptoms: The symptoms of pneumonia include a cold that is followed by a high fever,
shivering and a cough with septum production. Patient may become short of breath. The patient’s
skin colour may change and become dusky or purplish. It is due to poor oxygenation of blood.

Causes: The most common cause of pneumonia is a bacterium, Streptococcus pneumonia.

Some viral (influenza virus) and fungal infections may also lead to pneumonia.

Note: Vaccines are available to prevent pneumonia caused by S.pneumoniae. Antibiotics are
used in the treatment of this type of pneumonia.

Asthma: Asthma is a form of allergy, in which there is inflammation of the bronchi, more
mucous production and narrowing of the airways. In asthma patients, the bronchi and
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bronchioles become sensitive airways to different allergens (allergy causing factors) e.g. dust,
smoke, perfumes, pollens etc. When exposed to any of such allergens, the sensitive airways show
immediate and excessive response of constriction. In this condition, the patients feels difficulty
in breathing.

Symptoms: The symptoms of asthma vary from person to person. The major symptoms
include shortness of breath (especially with exertion or at night), wheezing (whistling sound
when breathing out), and cough and chest tightness.

Causes: Domestic animals (hairs, dander), Cold weather, Mold, Pollen and chemical in the air.

Medicines: The chemicals with ability to dilate the bronchi and bronchioles are used in the
treatment of asthma. Such medicine is given in the form of inhalers.

Lung cancer: Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell divisions in the tissues of the lung.
The cells continue to divide without any control and form tumours. The cellular growth may also
invade adjacent tissues beyond the lung. Lung cancer is more common in men than women.

Symptoms: The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing (including
coughing up blood) and weight loss.

Causes: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths and is responsible for
more than 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. The main causes of any cancer include
carcinogens, ionizing radiation and viral infection. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer.
Passive smoking is also a cause of lung cancer. The smoke from the burning end of a cigarette is
more dangerous than the smoke from the filter end.

Eliminating tobacco smoking is a primary goal in the prevention of lung cancer.

Note: The World No Tobacco Day is celebrated on the 31st of May every year.

The Cell Speaks:

“I am the Unit of Biological Activity:

Organized into cellular organelles;

Assigned to each of specific duties;

Thus, I truly represent life!”

By: ABDUS SAMI