Respiration:

The Exchange of Gases

Respiration (gas exchange): the interchange
between an animaI and its environment
echanisms of Gas Exchange
Three phases of gas exchange:
1) Breathing
- gas exchange with environment
2) Gas transport
- circuIatory system
- bIood vesseIs
3) Servicing body tissues
- gas exchange with tissues
- O
2
uptake - ceIIuIar respiration
- CO
2
reIease - waste product
echanisms of Gas Exchange
Respiratory surface - the part of the animaI where O
2
diffuses
into the animaI and CO
2
diffuses out to
the environment.
- covered by Iiving ceIIs (singIe Iayer, moist)
Outer skin
- "skin breathers"
- capiIIaries beIow skin
smaII, Iong, fIat organisms
high surface to voIume ratio
e. g. earthworm and hydra
echanisms of Gas Exchange
ost animaIs require specific adaptations for gas exchange
GiIIs
- feather-Iike extensions body surface
- very high surface area
- in contact with environment
- must aIways be moist!!
e.g. fish, amphibians, crabs and
moIIusca
echanisms of Gas Exchange
In most terrestriaI organisms, the respiratory surfaces are
FoIded into the body.
TracheaI system
- extensive system of internaI tubes
- exchange gases with the ceIIs
- no assistance from the circuIatory
system.
e. g. insects
echanisms of Gas Exchange
ost terrestriaI organisms have Iungs
Lungs
- internaI sacs Iined with moist
epitheIium
- inner surfaces branch extensiveIy
- Iarge surface area!!
- gases carried between Iungs and
body ceIIs by the circuIation.
e.g. amphibians, reptiIes, birds and
mammaIs.
Fish GiIIs
GiIIs are adapted for gas exchange in aquatic environments
Water - Iow dissoIved O
2
VentiIation
- mechanism to increase
contact between respiratory
surface (giIIs or Iungs)
and the environment.
- fish ventiIate their giIIs
to maintain the fIow of
O
2
rich water.
Fish GiIIs
Countercurrent fIow in giIIs enhances O
2
transfer
Countercurrent exchange
- the transfer of something from a
fIuid moving in one direction to
another fIuid moving in the
opposite direction.
- opposite fIows maintain a diffusion
gradient.
GiIIs
- water (O
2
-rich) fIows one way
- bIood (O
2
-poor) fIows the other way
* can remove 80% of water O
2
TracheaI System
Insect tracheae are tubes that branch throughout the body
air sacs - contraction of muscIes around them controI air movement
tracheoIes - narrowest tubes that extend to the ceIIs; contain fIuid
Lungs - terrestriaI vertebrates
Lungs
The aIveoIi are the site of gas exchange with the circuIation.
AIveoIi
- tiny sacs Iined with a thin Iayer
of epitheIiaI ceIIs; the exchange
surface with bIood
- each Iung contains miIIions
- O
2
dissoIves in the fiIm of
moisture Iining the epitheIiaI
ceIIs and diffuses across to the
bIood
- CO
2
moves the opposite way
Lungs - Breathing
Breathing - the aIternation of inhaIation and exhaIation.
Lungs - Breathing
Breathing in birds invoIves a one-way fIow of air rather than
an in-and-out fIow in humans.
ControI of Breathing
Breathing is automaticaIIy controIIed
Breathing controI centers
- in brain (pons and meduIIa)
- nerves from meduIIa signaI diaphragm
and rib muscIes to contract (inhaIe)
- pons smooths out rhythm of breathing.
- pH sensing - controI of CO
2
reIease
- decrease in pH causes an increase
in breathing rate.
HyperventiIation - deep, rapid breathing.
Gas Transport
BIood transports the respiratory gases
Heart has two divisions:
1) Ieft side handIes O
2
-rich bIood from
the Iungs (pumps bIood to body)
2) right side handIes O
2
-poor bIood
from the rest of the body
- pumps bIood to aIveoIar capiIIaries
(gas exchange)
PartiaI pressure
- the portion of a mixed gas that a
particuIar pure gas accounts for
- gradients determine movement
Gas Transport
HemogIobin - the moIecuIe in red bIood ceIIs that carries O
2
- four poIypeptide chains and a heme group
containing iron
- can carry up to 4 moIecuIes of O
2
Gas Transport
HemogIobin heIps transport CO
2
and buffer the bIood
Gas Transport
The human fetus exchanges gases with the mother's bIoodstream
Fetus
- Iungs are fuII of fIuid and
non-functionaI
- capiIIaries from the umbiIicaI
cord fan out into the pIacenta
- gas exchange occurs with the
maternaI bIood in the pIacenta
- countercurrent exchange of
fetaI and maternaI bIood
- fetaI hemogIobin has a higher
affinity for O
2
.
SUARY
- echanisms of gas exchange
(skin, giIIs, tracheaI system, Iungs)
- Breathing in water
- countercurrent exchange
- Breathing in air
- tracheaI system (insects)
- Iungs (humans)
- Breathing (controI by brain)
- Gas transport (circuIation, bIood, hemogIobin)