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KS3

Structure $nd function of the

g$s exch$nge system
P:rt of Biology Respir$tion $nd g$s exch$nge

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Key points
Key points
There :re three m:in g:ses in :ir th:t :re t:ken in :nd removed from the
Bre$thing, respir$tion body. These :re oxygen, nitrogen :nd c:rbon dioxide.
$nd g$s exch$nge G:s exch:nge is the ‘sw:pping’ of g:sses - :bsorbing oxygen into the blood
Function :nd removing c:rbon dioxide from the blood.

Structure Diffusion moves oxygen out of the :lveoli :nd into the blood.

How does oxygen tr$vel

into blood?

Alveoli

How $re the $lveoli Bre$thing, respir$tion $nd g$s exch$nge

$d$pted for g$s
exch$nge?
Inh:l:tion :nd exh:l:tion is the s:me :s
Ventil$tion bre:thing or ventil:tion :nd is :
physic:l process which moves :ir into
Respir$tion :nd out of your lungs.
Test your knowledge Respir:tion is not the s:me :s
bre:thing, :nd is : chemic:l process
Quiz
which occurs in :ll of your cells.
Test question G:s exch:nge is : process th:t involves the sw:pping of g:ses th:t occurs
:t exch:nge surf:ces such :s the :lveoli found within your lungs.

Function of the g$s exch$nge system

G:s exch:nge :llows oxygen to tr:vel into your cells for respir:tion whilst
:lso removing c:rbon dioxide, which is : w:ste subst:nce m:de by the
process of respir:tion. Respir:tion is : vit:l process th:t involves rele:sing
energy from glucose. All living things do this to st:y :live.

Structure of the g$s exch$nge system

The g:s exch:nge system is m:de from key p:rts, e:ch of which h:s :
different function.

P$rt of the
g$s
Function
exch$nge
system
This is :lso c:lled the windpipe. This tube runs from the
Tr$che$ mouth, down the thro:t tow:rds the lungs. It is lined with
rings of c$rtil$ge which keep it open :t :ll times.

The tr:che: splits into : leH :nd right bronchus (plur:l:

Bronchus
bronchi), e:ch le:ds to : lung.
E:ch bronchus splits :g:in :nd :g:in into thous:nds of
Bronchiole sm:ller tubes c:lled bronchioles which t:ke the :ir deeper
into the lungs.
At the ends of bronchioles :re tiny :ir s:cs c:lled :lveoli. Here
Alveoli
oxygen moves into the blood :nd c:rbon dioxide moves out.
These muscles run between the ribs :nd form the chest w:ll.
Intercost$l
They contr:ct :nd rel:x with the di:phr:gm when : person
muscles
bre:thes.
The di:phr:gm is : dome-sh:ped, fl:t sheet of muscle under
Di$phr$gm the lungs. It contr:cts :nd rel:xes with the intercost:l muscles
during bre:thing.

How does oxygen tr$vel into blood?

1. Air is bre:thed into the lungs through the windpipe c:lled the tr:che:.

2. The tr:che: divides into two tubes c:lled the bronchi.

3. The bronchi divides into m:ny tubes c:lled bronchioles.

4. The bronchioles divide until they end up in tiny :ir s:cs c:lled :lveoli. There
:re millions of :lveoli found within the lungs.

5. These :lveoli :re surrounded by : network of c:pill:ries, :llowing for

oxygen :nd c:rbon dioxide to be exch:nged between the blood in the
c:pill:ries :nd the :ir in the lungs. The oxygen molecules :re c:rried in red
blood cells.

6. The exch:nge of these two g:sses occurs by : process c:lled diffusion.

Alveoli
Alveoli :re tiny :ir s:cs in the lungs where g:s is exch:nged during bre:thing.

Within the hum:n lungs the :lveoli provide :n efficient exch:nge surf:ce
:d:pted for g:s exch:nge. This involves the ‘sw:pping’ of g:sses. For
ex:mple:

Absorbing oxygen, which is needed for respir:tion, into the blood from the
:ir.

Tr:nsferring c:rbon dioxide, which is produced by respir:tion, from the

blood into the lungs :nd then the :ir.

How $re the $lveoli $d$pted for g$s exch$nge?

Alveoli h:ve : very l:rge surf:ce :re: to en:ble more diffusion of oxygen
into the blood from the :lveoli, :nd more c:rbon dioxide out of the blood
into the :lveoli.
They :re only one cell thick so th:t the diffusion dist:nce is sm:ll.

They h:ve lots of blood c$pill$ries to ensure : good blood supply to

m:int:in concentr:tion gr:dients of oxygen :nd c:rbon dioxide.
They h:ve moist surf:ces for g:ses to dissolve in to form : solution to p:ss
through the cell membr$ne .

Some w:ter v:pour is lost from the surf:ce of the :lveoli into the lungs - we
c:n see this condensing when we bre:the out on cold d:ys.

Ventil$tion
Air gets into :nd out of the body by the physic:l process of bre:thing, :lso
c:lled ventil:tion. This process involves movements of the ribs, intercost:l
muscles :nd di:phr:gm to move :ir into :nd out of the lungs.

These :re the ch:nges involved during inh:l:tion :nd exh:l:tion.

Inh$ling Exh$ling
Contr:cts :nd moves
Di$phr$gm Rel:xes :nd moves upw:rds
downw:rds
Intercost$l Contr:ct, moving the ribs Rel:x, letting the ribs move
muscles upw:rds :nd outw:rds downw:rds :nd inw:rds
Volume of
Incre:ses Decre:ses
ribc$ge
Pressure
Decre:ses below Incre:ses :bove :tmospheric
inside the
:tmospheric pressure pressure
chest
Movement of
Moves into the lungs Moves out of the lungs
$ir
Find out more $bout the process of bre$thing.

Respir$tion
There :re two types of respir:tion th:t c:n occur in your cells:

Aerobic respir:tion
An:erobic respir:tion

Find out more $bout the two types of respir$tion.

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Test question

Describe $nd expl$in four $d$pt$tions of the $lveoli th$t helps the r$pid
diffusion of oxygen into the blood.

Hide $nswer

1. Alveoli h:ve : very good blood supply. This m:int:ins : concentr:tion

gr:dient between the :lveoli :nd the c:pill:ries.
2. Alveoli h:ve very thin w:lls, one cell thick so the diffusion p:thw:y is very
short.
3. Alveoli h:ve : l:rge surf:ce :re:. This :llows more sp:ce for oxygen
molecules to move :cross from the :lveoli to the blood.
4. They h:ve moist surf:ces. G:ses dissolve :nd form : solution then p:ss
through the cell membr:ne.

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