Gas exchange in mammals takes place in the lungs which are internally located within the chest cavity. The lungs are sac-like organs which play one of the main roles in the respiratory system. To begin with, air is breathed in through the nose and mouth. This process of taking air into the system is called inspiration or inhalation. When mammals inhale, their external intercostal muscles contract and the diaphragm (arched set of muscles between thorax and abdomen) located beneath the lungs also contracts, and moves down. This causes the rib cage to expand and move up, resulting in an increase in the chest/ thoracic cavity volume and a decrease in its pressure. Hence, due to the difference in the external atmospheric air pressure and the internal …show more content…
When insects inspire, air is taken in through the spiracles which are paired openings/ pores located on the outside along the thorax and abdomen of the insect. These spiracles are lined with hairs which filter the air entering the system to prevent clogging of the airway and reduction of the surface area available for gas exchange. Spiracles also aid in minimising water loss by the hairs which trap humid air, and the valves which help to control opening and closing. As insects are terrestrial organisms which may be prone to desiccation, and therefore loss of water by evaporation, closing their spiracles can allow them to help conserve water and ensure that the gas exchange surface is kept moist (for respiratory gases to be dissolved and diffuse into the muscle fibres). However, closing the spiracles may also mean that oxygen rich airflow is limited and so gas exchange efficiency would decrease, consequently affecting the rate of cellular respiration and production of energy required to meet the metabolic demands of an insect. Air then travels from the spiracles into the internal tracheae/ tracheal tubes that are supported by chitin rings or bands (a strong, lightweight material) which help to reinforce and provide flexibility to its structure. This ensures that the tracheae are held open instead of being compressed when vigorous body movements are made and that the gas exchange surface is still sufficiently ventilated with oxygen necessary for supplying the large amounts of energy needed for such body movements, especially flight when trying to escape predation. As there are numerous tracheal tubes which further branch out into tiny tracheoles, the surface area to volume ratio is increased so that maximum oxygen absorption can occur. The tracheoles are tiny tubes which end with a fluid filled tip that the respiratory gases are soluble in to allow for the diffusion of oxygen from the highly oxygenated air
The contraction of the inspiratory muscles increases the volume of the thoracic cavity causing the pressure within the alveoli to decrease and air to flow into the alveoli. During resting inspiration, the diaphragm, the external intercostals and the parasternal intercostals contract to stimulate inspiration. During forced inspiration the scalene and the sternocleidomastoid muscles contract to further expand the thoracic cavity. The pectoralis minor muscles also play a minor role in forced inspiration. During quiet breathing, relaxation of these muscles causes the volume of the thoracic cavity to decrease, resulting in expiration. During a forced expiration, the compression of the chest cavity is increased by contraction of the internal intercostal muscles and various abdominal
Biology 2A03 Lab 4 Respiratory Gas Exchange in a Mouse Lab Manual. Winter Term 2014 (2014). Biology Department. McMaster University.
Indeed, amongst the many disparities between humans and minks, their respiratory systems are very similar for they are both mammals. The metabolic rate is much greater in mammals than any other class of animals, which means the demand for oxygen is greater. Humans and Minks are both endothermic, so they require a more potent respiratory system. Similar to humans the lungs of minks contain millions of alveoli. Alveoli are tiny sacs that are packed together in clusters as if they were grapes. The tiny sacs or alveoli, allows for a greater surface area for the exchange of gases. Another similarity between humans and minks is the air passage. The first stage in air passage is inhalation which is done through the mouth and/or nose. The air then goes past the pharynx to the larynx, through the glottis (opening for the vocal chords), in...
When you breathe in, air containing carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) it moves down your trachea; a tunnel containing cartilage and smooth tissue. Air then travels through two hollow tubes called bronchi; narrow branches lined with smooth muscle, mucosal and ringed cartilage to support the structure. The bronchi divide out into smaller tunnels called bronchioles; are small branches 0.5-1mm, lined with muscular walls to help dilate and constrict the airway. At the end of the bronchioles are little air sacs called alveoli; which assist in gas exchange of O2 and CO2. (Eldridge, 2016) Towards the end of alveoli are small blood vessel capillaries. O2 is moved through the blood stream through theses small blood vessels (capillaries) at the end of the alveoli and the CO2 is then exhaled. (RolandMedically,
The respiratory system has the function of getting rid of carbon dioxide and acquiring oxygen. It works closely with the circulatory system to feed the body the proper amounts of oxygen it needs to function efficiently. The respiratory system of an American Mink is very similar to that of a human in spite of the fact that there are some minor modifications. Both Humans and Minks have two lungs, the right lung is larger and has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes. The reason why the left lun...
I only chose respiratory as an answer. However, the correct answers are respiratory and cardiovascular because of the pulmonary circulatory system. Gas exchange occurs at pulmonary capillary beds.
The circulatory system and respiratory system share a highly important relationship that is crucial to maintaining the life of an organism. In order for bodily processes to be performed, energy to be created, and homeostasis to be maintained, the exchange of oxygen from the external environment to the intracellular environment is performed by the relationship of these two systems. Starting at the heart, deoxygenated/carbon-dioxide (CO2)-rich blood is moved in through the superior and inferior vena cava into the right atrium, then into the right ventricle when the heart is relaxed. As the heart contracts, the deoxygenated blood is pumped through the pulmonary arteries to capillaries in the lungs. As the organism breathes and intakes oxygenated air, oxygen is exchanged with CO2 in the blood at the capillaries. As the organism breathes out, it expels the CO2 into the external environment. For the blood in the capillaries, it is then moved into pulmonary veins and make
The sullen narrative This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen poignantly recounts the events of a typical day in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The author, Tadeusz Borowski, was Polish Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz, the series of death camps responsible for the deaths of the largest number of European Jews. Recounted from a first-person point of view, the novel unfolds at dawn as the unnamed narrator eats breakfast with a friend and fellow prisoner, Henri. Henri is a member of Canada, the labor group responsible for unloading the Jewish transports as they arrive into the camps. They are interrupted by a call for Canada to report to the loading ramps. Upon the arrival of the transport, the narrator joins Henri in directing the prisoners to either life, in the labor camps, or to death, in the gas chambers. In reality the path is neither one of life or death, rather it is routing prisoners to inevitable death or immediate death. Regardless of how many times he is asked, the narrator refuses to disclose to the transport prisoners what is happening to them or where they are being taken. This is camp law, but the narrator also believes it to be charitable to “deceive (them) until the very end”(pg. 115). Throughout the day the narrator encounters a myriad of people, but one is described in great detail: a young woman, depicted as being unscathed by the abomination that is the transport. She is tidy and composed, unlike those around her. Calmly, she inquires as to where she is being taken, like many before her, but to no avail. When the narrator refuses to answer, she stoically boards a truck bound for the gas chambers. By the end of both the day and of the novel, the camp has processed approximately fifteen thousand p...
Healthy lung tissue is predominately soft, elastic connective tissue, designed to slide easily over the thorax with each breath. The lungs are covered with visceral pleura which glide fluidly over the parietal pleura of the thoracic cavity thanks to the serous secretion of pleural fluid (Marieb, 2006, p. 430). During inhalation, the lungs expand with air, similar to filling a balloon. The pliable latex of the balloon allows it to expand, just as the pliability of lungs and their components allows for expansion. During exhalation, the volume of air decrease causing a deflation, similar to letting air out of the balloon. However, unlike a balloon, the paired lungs are not filled with empty spaces; the bronchi enter the lungs and subdivide progressively smaller into bronchioles, a network of conducting passageways leading to the alveoli (Marieb, 2006, p. 433). Alveoli are small air sacs in the respiratory zone. The respiratory zone also consists of bronchioles and alveolar ducts, and is responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (Marieb, 2006, p. 433).
The Circulatory System is a transportation and cooling system for the body. The Red Blood Cells act like billions of little mail men carrying all kinds of things that are needed by the cells, also RBC's carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells. All cells in the body require oxygen to remain alive. Also there is another kind of cells called white blood cells moving in the system. Why blood cells protect from bacteria and other things that are harmful. The Circulatory system contains vein arteries, veins are used to carry blood to the heart and arteries to carry the blood away. The blood inside veins is where most of the oxygen and nutrients are and is called deoxygenated and the color of the blood is dark red. However, blood in the arteries are also full of oxygen but is a bright red. The main components of the circulatory system are the heart, blood, and blood vessels.
The human lungs are a pair of large, sponge like organs that are optimised for gas exchange between the blood and oxygen. The human body requires oxygen in order to survive and function. The lungs are responsible for providing vital oxygen while also removing the carbon dioxide before hazardous levels are reached within the body.
It is when much needed oxygen is obtained by the body in order for respiration to take place and the waste CO2 is taken out of the body. In us mammals, the exchange takes place in the lungs which contain a large number of alveoli. These are sponge-like structures in which the diffusion takes place. They are highly adapted to diffuse the gases as they give a large surface area for exchange of the gases.
Every cell in the human body requires oxygen to function, and the lungs make that oxygen available. With every breath we take, air travels to the lungs through a series of tubes and airways. After passing through the mouth and throat, air moves through the larynx, commonly known as the voice box, and then through the trachea, or windpipe. The trachea divides into two branches, called the right bronchus and the left bronchus, that connect directly to the lungs. Air continues through the bronchi, which divide into smaller and smaller air passages in the lungs, called bronchioles. The bronchioles end in clusters of tiny air sacs, called alveoli, which are surrounded by tiny, thin-walled blood vessels called capillaries.
The larynx provides a passageway for air between the pharynx and the trachea. The trachea is made up of mainly cartilage which helps to keep the trachea permanently open. The trachea passes down into the thorax and connects the larynx with the bronchi, which passes to the lungs. 3. Describe the mechanisms of external respiration including the interchange of gases within the lungs.
One of the first reason why insects are so successful because they possess a tough exoskeleton that is covered with a waxy water repellant layer. The exoskeleton of insects also has helped them survive. An insect's external skeleton, or exoskeleton, is made of semi-rigid plates and tubes. In insects, these plates are made of a plastic like material called chitin along with a tough protein. A waterproof wax covers the plates and prevents the insect's internal tissues from drying out. Insect exoskeletons are highly effective as a body framework, but they have two drawbacks: they cannot grow once they have formed, and like a suit of armor, they become too heavy to move when they reach a certain size. Insects overcome the first problem by periodically molting their exoskeleton and growing a larger one in its place. Insects have not evolved ways to solve the problem of increasing weight, and this is one of the reasons why insects are relatively small. But compared to animals the Exoskeletons d...