RESPIRATORY STRUCTURES

& BREATHING
MECHANISMS IN HUMAN
AND ANIMALS
Common characteristics of
respiratory structures
Moist (gaseous dissolving &
diffusion)
Thin (rapid diffusion)
Large surface area per
volume
Network of blood
capillaries beneath the
respiratory surfaces.
 x
x
x
Surface area Volume Surface area per
length (cm) (cm2) (cm3) volume (cm -1 )
1 6 1 6
2 24 8 3
3 54 27 2
4 96 64 1.5
5 150 125 1.2
6 216 216 1

Protozoa (amoeba), which has no
specialised respiratory structure,
gases diffuse in or out over its entire
Plasma membrane due to a large
SA : V ratio.
 The Tracheal system of an insect consists of the trachea,
tracheole, and Spiracle.
Air reaches the body cells via an elaborated system of branching
tubes called tracheole.
Air enters the tracheae through a series of openings along the sides
of the body called spiracles. Reinforced with the chitin, the
tracheae are subdivided into numerous tiny tracheoles.
The tracheoles have moist, thin permeable walls and are in
intimate contact with the body cells. Oxygen dissolves in the moist
found in the tracheoles and passes directly to the body of cells
through diffusion.
diffusion

During Inhalation,
Inhalation the bony
fish opens its mouth and
lowers the floor of the mouth.

The pressure inside the

mouth falls below that of
the external pressure. This
causes water to enter the
mouth. At the same time, it
causes the operculum to
press against the body.

Gaseous exchange occurs as

water flows past the grills.
Water then passes out
through the operculum . The
operculum opens due to
increased the pressure in
the mouth.
 Floor of the
mouth lower

During inspiration, the nostrils open, the mouth closes, the

glottis closes and the floor of the mouth cavity is lowered.

This decrease the air pressure inside the mouth cavity. As the
result, air is drawn thorough the nostrils into the mouth cavity.

The nostrils close and the floor of the mouth cavity is raised to
force the air through the glottis into the lungs. The lungs expand
and gaseous exchange takes place.

During expiration, the nostrils open. The muscles of the body wall
contracts to force the air from the lungs to the mouth cavity and
nostrils.
 COMPARING HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
WITH THAT OF OTHER ORGANISMS

PROTOZOA INSECT FISH AMFIBIAN HUMAN

Type of external
Aquatic Dry land Aquatic Aquatic and land Dry land
environment

Oxygen
Oxygen Oxygen dissolved in
Source of oxygen dissolved in Atmospheric Oxygen dissolved in water and Atmospheric oxygen
water water atmospheric
Oxygen

Main respiratory No special Skin, buccal

trachea gills Lungs
structure structure cavity, lungs
In certain types of
Air sac None None Alveolus Alveolus
insects
Extensive network of Numerous alveoli
Numerous alveoli,
High SA : V ratio Being tracheoles supplying Gill filament dan in lungs, skin
curvature and spherical
achieved by unicellular oxygen to every gill lamellae surface area and
shape of alveolus
body cell buccal cavity

Respiratory surface Entire thin and

Thin tracheoles with Thin and moist Thin and moist epithelial
(for gaseous moist plasma Gill lamellae
fluid at the ends skin and alveolus layer in alveolus
exchange) membrane

In larger or more
active insects,
Movement of
Respiratory abdominal muscles Inspiration and
none buccul floor and Inspiration and expiration
mechanism compress and relax expiration
operculum
to ventilate the
tracheal system
 PROTOZOA INSECT FISH AMFIBIAN HUMAN

Passage of Mouth
respiratory Nostril nasal
buccal Nostril
gases cavity
Water cavity buccal
Spiracle pharynx
plasma gill cavity
trachea glottis larynx
membrane filaments glottis
tracheoles trachea
lamella bronchus
body cells bronchus
cytoplasm lungs
bronchiole
operculum alveoli
alveolus
opening
Blood
capillary Present in
network Present in skin, buccal Present in
underneath None None
lamella cavity and alveolus
respiratory alveolus.
surface

Gas Blood Blood

circulatory Tracheal Blood circulatory
None circulatory circulatory
system system system.
system system
 Inspiration Expiration

Inspiration
The external intercostals muscles relax while internal
intercostals muscles contract,
contract this raising the ribs upwards
and outward.
outward
At the same time, the diaphragm muscles contract and flatten.
flatten
Both actions above increase the volume of the rib cage,
cage causing
its pressure to decreases.
decreases
Since atmospheric pressure is greater, air is drawn lungs the