F4 Biology, Chapter 8 Notes

Chapter 8: Respiratory Systems in Humans and Animals

8.1 Types of Respiratory System
1. The respiratory structure is the respiratory surface that enables gaseous exchange to occur between
respiring organism cells and their outer environment.

2. The ratio of total surface area to volume (TSA/V) depends on the size of the organism.

 The bigger the size of the organism, the smaller the ratio of total surface area to volume.
 This means that for large and complex organisms, the volume of the body that requires oxygen will
increase more than its total surface area.
 This explains why large and complex organisms cannot maintain gaseous exchange by diffusion
through body surface only.
 Large organisms require a special respiratory structure for the efficient exchange of gases.

3. Adaptations of respiratory structures for efficient exchange of gases in big organisms:

 Large ratio of total surface area to volume (TSA/V) for the efficient exchange of respiratory gases.
 A thin respiratory structure that is one cell thick, allows the diffusion of respiratory gases to occur.
 The surface of the respiratory structure is always moist for respiratory gases to dissolve in them.
 The respiratory structure is complete with a network of blood capillaries (except for insects), that
allows for the efficient delivery of respiratory gases.

8.1 & 8.2 Combined Notes (Respiratory structure and its adaptations + Breathing mechanism)

(A)(i) The insect respiratory structure and its adaptations

1. The breathing system of insects is the tracheal system (Figure 8.1).

Body cells

Figure 8.1: The tracheal system in a grasshopper

2. There are small pores in the thorax and abdomen of insects called spiracles .The spiracle allows the intake of
air into the air tube system, which is the tracheal system.

3, The trachea branches out to form finer tubes called the tracheoles. Tracheole is the respiratory surface. The
tracheole has the following characteristics that allow for efficient respiratory gaseous exchange.

 A large number of tracheoles provides a large total surface area for the exchange of gases.
 The tracheole wall is thin and moist. This allows oxygen gas to diffuse into the cells while carbon
dioxide quickly diffuses out of the cells into the tracheole.
 Some insects have air sacs in their tracheal system. This sac is filled with air to speed up the delivery
of respiratory gas during active body movements.

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(A)(ii) Breathing mechanism of insects

Abdominal muscles that contract and relax enables air to go in and out of the trachea.

Inhalation Exhalation
 The abdominal muscles will relax when air is  The abdominal muscles will contract when air is
inhaled. exhaled.
 This will reduce the air pressure in the trachea  This will increase the air pressure in the trachea
and allows air to enter into the trachea through and subsequently forces air out of the spiracles.
the spiracle.

(B)(i) The fish respiratory structure and its adaptations

1. The respiratory structure of fish is the gills (Figure 8.2).

Figure 8.2: Respiratory surfaces of a fish

2. The gills are made up of a line of filament that is supported by the gill arch (Figure 8.3).

Figure 8.3: Gill arch Figure 8.4: Countercurrent flow

3. The following characteristics of filament enable the rapid exchange of respiratory gases.

 The filament has many thin and flat projections called lamella (plural: lamellae). A large number of
filaments and lamellae gives a l………….. total surface area for an efficient gaseous exchange process.
 The lamella membrane is t………… and supplied with many b…………. c…………………… for easy
absorption and transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

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(B)(ii) Breathing mechanism of fish

 When the mouth opens,  When the mouth closed,

the floor of the buccal the floor of the buccal
cavity is lowered. cavity is raised.
 At the same time, the  Water enters through the
opercular cavity is gill lamella and gaseous
enlarged and the exchange between blood
operculum opening is and water occurs through
closed. diffusion.
 This reduces the  At the same time, the
pressure in the buccal operculum muscle relaxes
cavity. and the opercular cavity
 Water from the outside becomes smaller.
which contains  The volume of the buccal
dissolved oxygen enters cavity is reduced and the
the mouth. pressure in the buccal
cavity becomes higher
Figure 8.4: The breathing mechanism of a fish than the pressure outside.
 The high pressure causes
water to flow through the
operculum opening.

(C)(i) The frog respiratory structure and its adaptations

1. The respiratory structures of frog are the skin and the lungs.

Figure 8.4: Respiratory structures of a frog

(i) Skin (ii) Lungs

 In an inactive state, the frog uses its skin for  The surface of the lungs is folded to increase
gaseous exchange. the total surface area for the exchange of
 The skin is thin and highly permeable to gases.
respiratory gases.  The thin lung membrane eases the diffusion of
 The moist skin allows respiratory gases to respiratory gases.
dissolve in it.  The moist lung walls enable respiratory gases to
 Below the skin, there are many networks of dissolve in them.
blood capillaries to transport respiratory gases.  The lungs are also rich with a network of blood
capillaries to transport respiratory gases.

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 (C)(ii) Breathing mechanism of frog

Buccopharyngeal
cavity

1) When the frog breathes 3) When the glottis opens, the 1) When the lungs contract, air is expelled
through the nostrils, the nostrils close and the floor of from the lungs.
mouth and glottis are the buccopharyngeal cavity is
closed and the floor of the raised. 2) This is helped by the abdominal
buccophaiyngeal cavity is pressure and the elasticity of the lungs.
lowered. 4) The increased air pressure
pushes air into the lungs. 3) Some air is expelled through the
2) The low air pressure in nostrils while the rest is mixed with the air
the mouth cavity draws air in the buccopharyngeal cavity.
into the buccopharyngeal
cavity through the nostrils.

(D)(i) The human respiratory structure and its adaptations

1. The human respiratory structure is the a……………….. which has the characteristics or efficient respiratory
gaseous exchange

 A large number of alveoli provides a l…………. total surface area for the diffusion of respiratory gases.
 The alveolus wall is always m…………….. Oxygen and carbon dioxide can dissolve easily, and diffuse
through the walls into the blood capillaries.
 The alveolus is surrounded by a l…………. network of blood capillaries to hasten the diffusion of
respiratory gases.
 The t……….. alveolus wall, that is as thick as one cell, makes the diffusion of gases much easier.

TABLE 8.1 Similarities and differences between the respiratory structures of humans and animals

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(D)(ii) Breathing mechanism of human

1. The human respiratory tract:

The human respiratory tract

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 Inhalation Exhalation

Side view of the respiratory organs Side view of the respiratory organs

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Practice 1

Fill in the table below to show the differences in the respiratory system of the organisms.

Characteristics The respiratory system of

Humans Protozoa Insects Fish Amphibians
Respiratory
system
Respiratory
organs
Source of oxygen
Respiratory
structures

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Characteristics The respiratory system of
Humans Protozoa Insects Fish Amphibians
Adaptation of
respiratory
structures

Towards a high
surface area /
volume ratio

Transport of
gases

Breathing action

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8.3 Gaseous Exchange in Humans

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8.4 Health Issues Related to the Human Respiratory System

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