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GAS EXCHANGE
Key concepts
Types of respiration
Cellular Respiration is the chemical breakdown of food substances to yield ATP.
Different organisms use different kinds of breathing mechanisms in order to transport oxygen
throughout their bodies.
Evolutionary adaptations of gas exchange systems and respiration
Different plant adaptations in acquiring CO2 from the environment evolved: C3, C4, and CAM
pathways.
Structural adaptations of respiratory apparatus depend on the animal’s habitat. The three
most common respiratory organs are gills, tracheae, and lungs.
The respiratory system and circulatory system cooperate directly with each other.
Mammalian respiration
The respiratory system is divided into the upper respiratory tract (nasal passages, mouth,
throat, larynx and trachea) and lower respiratory tract (bronchi and the lungs).
Air enters (inhalation) the respiratory system due to a pressure drop inside the lungs (negative
pressure).
Air exits (exhalation) the respiratory system due to an increase in pressure inside the lungs.
Breathing is regulated by control centers in the brain (medulla oblongata and pons)
Gases are transported via passive diffusion throughout the body.
Respiratory diseases and their prevention
Respiratory disorders may be congenital or environmental.
Respiratory disorders can be prevented through a combination of proper diet and lifestyle
change.
Vocabulary words
aerobic respiration emphysema pneumonia
epiglottis pons
air sacs
positive pressure breathing
gas exchange
alveolus residual volume
gills
anaerobic respiration respiratory medium
glottis respiratory pigments
asthma glycolysis respiratory surface
blood pH hemocyanin rib muscles
Bohr shift hemoglobin spiracle
larynx (voicebox)
surface tension
breathing syrinx
lung Cancer
bronchiole thoracic cavity
lungs tidal volume
bronchus
medulla oblongata trachea or windpipe
C3 pathway myoglobin tracheae
C4 pathway nasal cavity tuberculosis
CAM pathway negative pressure breathing ventilation
vital capacity
cell respiration nose
vocal cords of the larynx
parabronchi
countercurrent exchange
partial pressure
cutaneous respiration
pharynx
diaphragm
photosynthesis
dissociation curve
Cellular Respiration
- Transformation of chemical energy into ATP
- Overall Reaction: C6H12O6 +6O2 → 6CO2 +6H2O + 36 ATP
1 Glucose molecule
(6C) from digestion
Glycolysis in the
cytoplasm
2 pyruvate molecules
(3C)
2 ATPs
Unicellular organisms
Entire surface area for
diffusion
Respiratory surfaces and gas exchange
More complex animals
Thin, moist epithelium
Separates medium from
capillaries
Entire outer skin
Extensively folded and
branched respiratory
organs
Gills in aquatic animals
concentration and
pressure drives the
movement of gases into
and out of blood
Respiratory
pigments
Low solubility of O2 in H2O
Respiratory pigments are
proteins with metal atoms
Hemoglobin – Fe
Hemocyanin – Cu
Allow reversible binding
of O2
Cooperativity
Drop in pH results in a
lowered affinity of
hemoglobin for O2
Respiratory
pigments
Low solubility of O2 in H2O
Respiratory pigments are
proteins with metal atoms
Hemoglobin – Fe
Hemocyanin – Cu
Allow reversible binding
of O2
Cooperativity
Drop in pH results in a
lowered affinity of
hemoglobin for O2
CO2 transport
Respiratory 7% in plasma
23% bound to
pigments hemoglobin
70% as HCO3- *
*buffers resist pH changes
Fetal hemoglobin
HbF has greater affinity to O2 than Hb
low O2% by time blood reaches placenta
fetal Hb must be able to bind O2 with greater affinity
than maternal Hb
Deep-diving mammals Seals, whales, dolphins are
capable of long underwater
dives
Weddell seal 5% O2 in
lungs, 70% in blood
Huge spleen stores huge
volumes of blood
Large concentrations of
myoglobin in muscles
Heart rate and O2
consumption rate decrease
Blood is redirected from
muscles to brain, spinal
cord, and eyes
Respiratory disorders
Asthma – chronic Pneumonia – lung
inflammatory lung inflammation
disease Tuberculosis – airborne
Bronchitis – chronic bacterial
inflammation of infection
bronchi (chronic/acute) Lung cancer – normally
Emphysema – damage begins in bronchi,
to alveoli usually carcinomas
Cystic fibrosis –
abnormality in mucus
producing glands