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Respiratory System

This document discusses gas exchange and respiration. It describes how oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged between the environment and cells through respiratory surfaces, which need to have a high surface area and be moist. Land animals evolved internal respiratory surfaces compared to the external gills of aquatic organisms. Lungs were developed which have a spongy texture with many alveoli that increase surface area for gas exchange, but also provide an entry point for pathogens. Breathing is driven by negative pressure changes in the lungs that pull air in and out.

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Jillian Lao
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200 views

Respiratory System

This document discusses gas exchange and respiration. It describes how oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged between the environment and cells through respiratory surfaces, which need to have a high surface area and be moist. Land animals evolved internal respiratory surfaces compared to the external gills of aquatic organisms. Lungs were developed which have a spongy texture with many alveoli that increase surface area for gas exchange, but also provide an entry point for pathogens. Breathing is driven by negative pressure changes in the lungs that pull air in and out.

Uploaded by

Jillian Lao
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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alveoli

Gas Exchange

elephant
AP Biology gills seals 2005-2006
Respiration for
Gas exchange respiration!

 O2 & CO2 exchange


 exchange between
environment & cells
 provides O2 for
aerobic cellular
respiration
 need moist
membrane
 need high
surface area
AP Biology 2005-2006
Optimizing gas exchange
 Why high surface area?
 maximizing rate of gas exchange
 CO & O move across cell membrane by
2 2
diffusion
 rate of diffusion proportional to surface area
 Why moist membranes?
 moisture maintains cell membrane
structure
 gases diffuse only dissolved in water

AP Biology 2005-2006
Evolution of gas exchange structures
Aquatic organisms
external systems with
lots of surface area
exposed to aquatic
environment

Terrestrial
moist internal
respiratory surfaces
with lots of surface
area
AP Biology 2005-2006
Gas Exchange in Water: Gills

AP Biology 2005-2006
Gas Exchange on Land
 Advantages of terrestrial life
 air has many advantages over water
 higher concentration of O2
 O2 & CO2 diffuse much faster through air
 respiratory surfaces exposed to air do not have to
be ventilated as thoroughly as gills
 air is much lighter than water & therefore
Why don’t
much easier to pump land animals
 expend less energy moving air in & out use gills?

 Disadvantages
 keeping large respiratory surface
AP Biology
moist causes high water loss 2005-2006
spongy texture, honeycombed
Lungs with moist epithelium
exchange surface, but
also creates risk:
entry point for
environment
into body

AP Biology 2005-2006
Alveoli
 Gas exchange across thin epithelium of
millions of alveoli
 total surface area in humans ~100 m2

AP Biology 2005-2006
Mechanics of breathing
 Air enters nostrils
 filtered by hairs, warmed & humidified
 sampled for odors
 Pharynx → glottis → larynx (vocal cords) →
trachea (windpipe) → bronchi → bronchioles
→ air sacs (alveoli)
 Epithelial lining covered by cilia & thin film
of mucus
 mucus traps dust, pollen, particulates
 beating cilia move mucus upward to pharynx,
where it is swallowed
AP Biology 2005-2006
Negative pressure breathing
 Breathing due to changing pressures in lungs
 air flows from higher pressure to lower pressure
 pulling air instead of pushing it

AP Biology 2005-2006
Any Questions??

AP Biology 2005-2006

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