BODY SYSTEMS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Gas Exchange
All living organisms must exchange gases with the environment in order to maintain survival
• Gases can be exchange with either the atmosphere (if terrestrial) or the water (if aquatic)
• Oxygen is required for aerobic respiration (needed to produce sufficient quantities of ATP)
• Carbon dioxide is a waste product and must be removed (alters the pH level of the blood)
HIGH LOW
OXYGEN O2 O2 OXYGEN
LOW HIGH
CARBON CARBON
DIOXIDE
CO2 CO2 DIOXIDE
ATMOSPHERE BLOODSTREAM CELLS / TISSUES
B3.1.1 Gas exchange as a vital function in all organisms
Ventilation Systems
While unicellular organisms can exchange sufficient quantities of gases across their external
surface via diffusion, challenges become greater as a multicellular organism increases in size
• There is increased distance from centre of mass to the exterior and a smaller SA:Vol ratio
Multicellular organisms tend to have specialised ventilation systems to enable gas exchange
• These systems function to continually cycle fresh air and maintain concentration gradients
2 4 1 Diffusion
2 Tracheae
3 Gills
1 3 4 Lungs
B3.1.3 Maintenance of concentration gradients at exchange surfaces in animals
Respiratory Surfaces
Ventilation systems possess certain features to optimise the exchange of respiratory gases:
• Surface area – Must be large to ensure sufficient exchange
• Moist – Gases diffuse more readily when dissolved in solution
• Absorptive – Surfaces must be suitably permeable to gases
• Rich blood system – Connected to a dense capillary network
• Thin tissue layer – Only lined by a single epithelial layer Mnemonic: SMART
These adaptations are important because gas exchange is a passive process and does not use
membrane proteins to increase the rate of membrane transport (occurs via simple diffusion)
B3.1.2 Properties of gas exchange surfaces
Lungs
Gas exchange in mammals involves specialised
respiratory structures that are called lungs Trachea
• Air enters via the nose or the mouth Alveolus
• The air travels down the trachea
• The trachea split into two bronchi Bronchus
• Each bronchus forms bronchioles
Bronchiole
• The bronchioles terminate in alveoli
• Alveoli exchange respiratory gases
Lungs Diaphragm
with the bloodstream (via capillaries)
B3.1.4 Adaptations of mammalian lungs for gas exchange
Alveoli
Alveoli are the spherical air sacs where gas exchange occurs
• They are surrounded by a network of dense capillary beds
Alveoli are composed of two types of cells called pneumocytes
• Type I: Flattened cells that are responsible for gas exchange Alveolus
O2 O2 O2
• Type II: Granular cells that secrete a pulmonary surfactant O2
O2
O2 O 2
O2 CO2
Because the gas exchange surface is moist, the surfactant is
needed to reduce surface tension within the individual alveoli CO
CO 2 2
• A high surface tension would prevent alveoli from inflating Capillary
Mechanism of Breathing
Breathing involves changing the pressure within the lungs by
changing the total volume within the thoracic cavity (chest)
When the volume within the thoracic cavity is increased:
• Lung pressure drops below the atmospheric pressure
• Air will move into the lungs to equalise the pressure
When the volume within the thoracic cavity is decreased:
• Lung pressure rises above the atmospheric pressure
• Air will move out of the lungs to equalise the pressure
B3.1.5 Ventilation of the lungs
Respiratory Muscles
Breathing is controlled by two sets of antagonistic muscle actions
Inspiration / Inhalation:
• Diaphragm contracts and flattens (increasing thoracic volume)
• External intercostal muscles contract, pulling the ribs outwards DIAPHRAGM
Expiration / Exhalation:
• Diaphragm relaxes and curves up (decreasing thoracic volume)
• Internal intercostal muscles contract, pulling the ribs inwards
• Abdominal muscles contract, forcibly pushing the diaphragm up
INTERCOSTALS
Overview of Ventilation
Note: Physiological respiration (breathing) is not the same as cellular respiration (ATP production)
Lung Capacity
Lung volumes can be measured in a number of different ways: TOTAL LUNG CAPACITY
• Total lung capacity: The maximal volume of air in the lungs VITAL CAPACITY
• Tidal volume: Amount of air exchanged via a normal breath
• Residual volume: Amount of air always present in the lungs
• Vital capacity: Maximum air volume that can be exchanged
VT
A number of factors can influence lung capacities, including:
• Height – Taller people tend to have larger chest volumes
• Location – High altitudes have lower atmospheric pressure
RESIDUAL VOLUME
• Lifestyle – Obese people and smokers have lower capacities
B3.1.6 Measurement of lung volumes
Topic Connections
Cell Structures (AHL)
• Red blood cells possess adaptations to optimise gas exchange (B2.3.7)
Cell Respiration
• Gas exchange is essential for the aerobic production of ATP (C1.2.5)
System Regulation
• Carbon dioxide concentrations determine ventilation rates (C3.1.15)
Vascular System
• Blood circulation maintains concentration gradients in lungs (B3.2.1)
