Transport & Circulation and

Regulation of Body Fluids of

Plants and Animal

 
To survive and reproduce, the human body
relies on major internal body organs to perform
certain vital functions. When two or more
organs along with their associated structures
work together they become component parts of
a body system.

Some of the easily recognizable internal organs

and their associated functions are:
The brain
The brain is the control centre of the nervous system and is located within the skull. Its functions include muscle control and coordination,
sensory reception and integration, speech production, memory storage, and the elaboration of thought and emotion.
The lungs
The lungs are two sponge-like, cone-shaped structures that fill most of the chest cavity. Their essential function is to provide oxygen from
inhaled air to the bloodstream and to exhale carbon dioxide.
The liver
The liver lies on the right side of the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Its main function is to process the contents of the blood to
ensure composition remains the same. This process involves breaking down fats, producing urea, filtering harmful substances and
maintaining a proper level of glucose in the blood.
The bladder
The bladder is a muscular organ located in the pelvic cavity. It stretches to store urine and contracts to release urine.
The kidneys
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the spinal column. Their
function is to maintain the body’s chemical balance by excreting waste products and excess fluid in the form of urine.
The heart
The heart is a hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions.
The stomach
The stomach is a muscular, elastic, pear-shaped bag, lying crosswise in the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Its main purpose is
digestion of food through production of gastric juices which break down, mix and churn the food into a thin liquid.
The intestines
The intestines are located between the stomach and the anus and are divided into two major sections: the small intestine and the large
intestine. The function of the small intestine is to absorb most ingested food. The large intestine is responsible for absorption of water and
excretion of solid waste material.
The pharynx is part of the digestive
system as well as the respiratory system
because it carries both food and air. At
the bottom of the pharynx, this pathway
divides in two, one for food — the
esophagus (pronounced: ih-SAH-fuh-
gus), which leads to the stomach — and
the other for air.
The respiratory system and
digestive systems both eliminate
the waste created from cellular
respiration and digestion from
the body
Do Plants Breathe?
Yes, like animals and humans, plants also breathe.
Plants do require oxygen to respire, the process in
return gives out carbon dioxide. Unlike humans
and animals, plants do not possess any specialized
structures for exchange of gases, however, they do
possess stomata (found in leaves) and lenticels
(found in stems) actively involved in the gaseous
exchange. Leaves, stems and plant roots respire at
a low pace compared to humans and animals.
Photosynthesis takes place in only those parts of the plants
which have chlorophyll, the green plant parts. Photosynthesis is
so evident that at times it seems to mask the respiratory process
in plants. Respiration must not be mistaken for photosynthesis.
Respiration occurs all through the day, but the photosynthesis
process occurs in the daytime, in the presence of sunlight only.

Consequently, respiration becomes evident at night time in

plants. This is the reason we often hear people warn against
sleeping under a tree during nighttime, as it may lead to
suffocation due to excess amounts of carbon dioxide liberated
by trees following respiration.
Respiration in
animals
There were basic principles that influence
gas exchange. One of which is that the
respiratory surface or organ is the part of an
animal’s body where gases are exchanged
with the environment.
To allow for gas exchange, it must be moist,
large enough, and protected from
desiccation.
Humans move the muscles of the thorax to expand
and contract the chest cavity and move air in and
out of the lungs. Adaptations of animals for gas
exchange include respiratory pigments that bind
and transport gases. The respiratory pigment of
vertebrates is hemoglobin while that of
invertebrates (e.g. arthropods and mollusks) is
hemocyanin. Blood cannot carry sufficient oxygen
and carbon dioxide in dissolved form to meet the
body’s requirements; hemoglobin helps enhance
its capacity
Pulmonary circulation allows the diffusion
of dissolved gases across lung capillaries. In
body tissues, oxygen diffuses from blood →
interstitial fluid → cells; the pathway of
carbon dioxide is in reverse. All lungs
receive deoxygenated blood from the heart
and return oxygenated blood to the heart
Normal breathing is a physiological
process that occurs unconsciously and
automatically, thanks to the autonomic
nervous system. It is essential for life
and is vital for exchanging gases
between the atmosphere and the
body’s cells.
Process of Normal Breathing
The process of breathing begins with an
inhalation, which is when the diaphragm
contracts and moves downward. This creates a
negative pressure in the thoracic cavity, causing
air to flow into the lungs.
The air travels through the nose or mouth and
down the trachea, which branches off into the
left and right mainstem bronchi. The bronchi
then branch off into smaller airways called
bronchioles, which end in alveoli.
The alveoli are tiny sacs that are
lined with a thin layer of epithelial
cells. This region is where 
gas exchange takes place between
inhaled air and the blood.
Then oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into
the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses from
the blood into the alveoli.
The oxygen-rich blood is then carried to the
heart, where it is pumped to the rest of the
body. The carbon dioxide-rich blood is
returned to the lungs, where it is removed
from the body by exhaling. 
What is the function of the
human heart in breathing?
The heart is a pump, usually beating about 60
to 100 times per minute. With each heartbeat,
the heart sends blood throughout our bodies,
carrying oxygen to every cell. After
delivering the oxygen, the blood returns to the
heart. The heart then sends the blood to the
lungs to pick up more oxygen.
 What are the
similarities and
differences between
the circulatory and
respiratory systems?
Similarities between the circulatory and
respiratory system are as follows:
1. Both the systems are concerned with
transportation of oxygen in the body.
2. Both the systems are involved in
removing waste products out of the tissues
and eventually out of the body, that is,
Carbon dioxide.
3. Both proceed in two separate phases or
steps.
Circulatory system is called the vascular or cardiovascular
system. It is concerned with circulation of oxygenated and
deoxygenated blood throughout the body.
Besides, the blood also transports nutrients, hormones, enzymes,
etc. to various organs while circulating throughout the body.

Respiratory system is a system that is concerned with

regulating breathing actions of the body. It involves inhalation
of oxygen (that helps in energy production along with conduction
of other metabolic activities in the body) and exhalation of
Carbon dioxide (which is produced as an end product of energy
producing processes).
 TRANSPORT IN ANIMALS
Animal's circulatory system consists of the heart, blood vessels --
arteries, veins and capillaries -- and the blood. The heart is the
pump that pushes the blood to move along the arteries and veins.
Blood from the heart and lungs usually passes through the arteries
and carries with it oxygen and nutrients to be distributed into the
many organs and cells via smaller blood vessels called the
capillaries. After distribution of these nutrients, the blood goes
into the veins and takes with it waste products, like carbon
dioxide and other chemical wastes, to be eliminated via the
organs responsible for proper waste excretion.