MODULE 2 –

ORGANISATION
OF LIVING
THINGS
PART 3 – TRANSPORT (HOW DOES THE
COMPOSITION OF THE TRANSPORT MEDIUM
CHANGE AS IT MOVES AROUND AN
ORGANISM?)
 • Transport systems in animals –
the cardiovascular system and
the lymphatic system
• Transport systems in plants –
LEARNING •
xylem and phloem
Gas exchange animals –

INTENTIONS •
similarities and differences
Comparing gas exchange in land
plants with algae
• Changes in transport medium as
it moves around an organism

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TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
MAMMALS -
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

• is a closed system
• uses blood as the
circulatory fluid
• provides most of the
transport needs in
mammals
• highly branched so that
no cell is more than a
mm from a capillary

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TRANSPORT SYSTEMS MAMMALS -
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

 Blood circulates via two pathways:

• Pulmonary circulation transports blood to and
from the lungs - deoxygenated blood is pumped
from the heart to the lungs, where it is oxygenated
and returned to the heart.
• Systemic circulation transports blood to and from
the rest of the body – oxygenated blood is pumped
from the heart to all the organs, where it gives up
its oxygen to cells before returning to the heart.

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COMPONENTS OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM – THE
HEART
• The heart contains several tissues –
cardiac muscle, connective tissue
(valves) and nerve tissue (controls heart
rate).
• The mammalian heart has 4 chambers –
upper receiving chambers (atria/singular
atrium) have thinner walls; each atrium
opens up into lower, thicker walled
chambers called ventricles.
• Blood moves through the heart in one
direction because of the presence of
valves - the right side of the heart pumps
deoxygenated blood to the lungs, where
as the left side pumps oxygenated blood
from the lungs to the rest of the body.
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COMPONENTS OF THE
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
– BLOOD VESSELS

• Arteries carry blood away from the

heart under high pressure and so must
have a structure that can withstand the
pressure. They have thick, but elastic
walls, made up of three tissue layers:
endothelium as a lining, smooth muscle
to contract the vessel and connective
tissue to allow for expansion. Arteries do
not pump blood.
• Veins carry blood back toward the
heart. They carry the same quantity of
blood as the arteries, but not at the
same high pressures. Veins have the
same three layers as the arteries:
endothelium, smooth muscle and
connective tissue. However, the layers
are not as thick. The veins also contain
valves that prevent the backflow of
blood.
• Capillaries have walls that are only one
endothelium cell thick, as they have to
allow diffusion of materials through their
wall to reach the cells found in the
tissues in which the capillary is located.

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COMPONENTS OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM – BLOOD

• Fluid portion is called the plasma and contains ions, dissolved gases,
proteins, hormones, nutrients and waste.
• Red blood cells (erythrocytes) lack a nucleus. They contain
haemoglobin, which binds the oxygen and transports it to cells (oxygen
is relatively insoluble in water and and so cannot be carried efficiently
dissolved in the blood plasma). Thus, the presence of haemoglobin in red
blood cells increases the blood's capacity to carry oxygen. Organisms
with red blood containing haemoglobin are able to deliver oxygen to cells
more efficiently than other organisms with blood that has no
haemoglobin.
• White blood cells (leukocytes) are larger than red blood cells, but
there are fewer of them. There are two main types, phagocytes and
lymphocytes, both involved in defense against pathogens.
- Phagocytes engulf harmful bacteria and damaged cells.
- Lymphocytes produce antibodies and develop the immune response.
• Platelets contain substances that promote blood clotting.
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 • Open system that consists of
lymph vessels, lymph nodes and

TRANSPORT organs, such as the thymus and

spleen.
• Main role is to return fluids that
SYSTEMS have leaked out of capillaries back
into the cardiovascular system so
that it does not accumulate in

MAMMALS - tissues – movement of lymph is

unidirectional because of valves in
lymph vessels; these in turn empty

LYMPHATIC •
into large veins near the heart.
Also has a role in the immune
system – invading pathogens are
SYSTEM transported to the lymph nodes,
where they are trapped and
destroyed by phagocytes and
lymphocytes.
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 • View The circulatory system
• Create an annotated diagram of
the human cardiovascular system,
indicating structure and function of
components within the system.
• Using a microscope and bioviewer,
FOR YOU TO investigate the structure of
arteries, veins, capillaries and
blood cells.
DO • Complete the table relating
structure to function of blood
vessels.
• Practical Activity 2.4 The heart of
the matter – heart structure and
function Pearson Biology Skills and
Assessment text pp. 78-81.
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TRANSPORT SYSTEMS – PLANTS (REMEMBER)
• Vascular tissue is composed of xylem
and phloem:
- Xylem transports water and mineral ions
absorbed by the roots from the soil to the
above ground parts of the plant.
- Phloem transports organic nutrients
(dissolved sugars) produced in the leaves
by photosynthesis and other organic
substances throughout the plant.

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TRANSPORT OF WATER AND MINERAL IONS –
XYLEM
 The transpiration-cohesion-tension mechanism is
currently the theory that accounts for the ascent
of xylem sap. This sap is mainly pulled by
transpiration rather than pushed by root pressure.
Cohesion is the “sticking” together of water
molecules so that they form a continuous stream
of molecules extending from the leaves down to
the roots. Water molecules also adhere to the
cellulose molecules in the walls of the xylem. As
water molecules are removed by transpiration in
the leaf, the next molecule moves upwards to
take its place, pulling the stream of molecules
continuously along. This is passive transport.

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TRANSLOCATION OF
SUGARS – PHLOEM
 The pressure-flow mechanism(or Source
to Sink) is a model for phloem transport
now widely accepted.
 Step 1: Sugar is loaded into the phloem
tube from the sugar source, e.g. the leaf
(active transport)
 Step 2: Water enters by osmosis due to a
high solute concentration in the phloem
tube. Water pressure is now raised at
this end of the tube.
 Step 3: At the sugar sink, where sugar is
taken to be used or stored, it leaves the
phloem tube. Water follows the sugar,
leaving by osmosis and thus the water
pressure in the tube drops.
 The building up of pressure at the source
end, and the reduction of pressure at the
sink end, causes water to flow from
source to sink. As sugar is dissolved in
the water, it flows at the same rate as
the water. Sieves between phloem cells
allow the movement of the phloem sap
to continue relatively unimpeded.

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 • View Transportation in Plants

FOR YOU TO
• Practical Activity 2.3 Tubes for
transport - vascular tissue in
plants Pearson Biology Skills and

DO •
Assessment text pp. 73-77.
Complete the key questions on
page 275 of your text.

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 • Animals have high energy demands
and as a result, they need a large
amount of oxygen and they release
large amounts of carbon dioxide.
• Their body surface area to volume

GAS ratio is not large enough to meet their

high demand for gaseous exchange,
specialised respiratory systems have
evolved.

EXCHANGE - • Respiratory surfaces are body surfaces

that are in contact with the external
environment and have become
ANIMALS specialised for gaseous exchange. The
types of respiratory organs vary from
one type of organism to another but, to
ensure efficient exchange of gases by
diffusion, all gaseous exchange
surfaces share certain common
features.
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 • A large surface area—the surface area of

GAS
respiratory organs may be increased by folding (e.g.
lungs and gills), branching (e.g. tracheoles in insects)
and/or flattening (e.g. the flat shape of cells lining air
sacs in lungs) of tissue at the surface of gaseous
exchange. An increased surface for gaseous exchange

EXCHANGE allows a faster rate of diffusion to supply oxygen and

to remove carbon dioxide as required by the organism.
It is also necessary to compensate for the small
surface area to volume ratio of the animal’s body.

SURFACES – • A moist, thin surface creates the best possible

conditions for efficient diffusion—moisture ensures
that oxygen and carbon dioxide are able to be
dissolved for easy diffusion across membranes of cells

COMMON •
and the thin nature of the surface reduces the
distance that gases need to travel.
Adequate supply of gas to be transferred –

FEATURES
concentration of gas needs to be high.
• They are near to an efficient transport system to
allow gases to be carried to the cells where they are
needed or from the cells where they have been

(REMEMBER)
produced. The continual movement of gases towards
or away from the respiratory surface also ensures that
an adequate concentration gradient is maintained: the
steeper the gradient, the more rapid the overall
diffusion that occurs.

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 • Use the table provided to
compare the gas exchange
surfaces of various animals.
• We have already learnt about
gas exchange in plants. Now

FOR YOU TO compare gas exchange in land

plants and algae.

DO
• Drawing conclusions - why do
multicellular animals and plants
need gas exchange and what do
respiratory surfaces have in
common in terms of structure and
function?

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OPEN AND CLOSED TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
• Invertebrates such as arthropods and molluscs have open circulatory
systems. In insects the circulation of body fluid, known
as haemolymph, around the body is achieved by a simple pumping
system consisting of one or more tubular hearts. Haemolymph bathes
the tissues and accumulates in large spaces within the insect. Any
vessels that assist the transport of the fluid are open at each end. Fluid
is sucked into the tubular heart(s) through small holes. It is then
pumped forwards to the front end of the insect and flows slowly
backwards through the spaces surrounding the various organs. The
pressure in an open system is low, so the body fluid circulates slowly.
• Open circulatory systems suit the needs of smaller animals. In insects
they do not have to transport respiratory gases, but only distribute and
collect food and wastes, and sometimes store them temporarily.
• Large, active animals such as vertebrates and squids have closed
circulatory systems, for example, humans. Closed circulatory systems
meet the needs of large, active animals. They provide nutrients and
oxygen to cells and carry away wastes and carbon dioxide. However,
they use more energy to provide the faster service required. 06/12/2024
 • Use the table provided to
compare structures and functions
FOR YOU TO of transport systems in animals
and plants.

DO • Use the table provided to

compare open and closed
transport systems of animals.

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 • Use the Circulatory System Gizmo

CHANGES IN to investigate how the composition

of blood changes in a mammal as
it travels around the body.
TRANSPORT Construct a table to summarise
how blood composition changes
MEDIUM AS IT between arriving and leaving the
lungs, liver, kidney and small
MOVES •
intestine.
Practical Activity 6.1: Transport
AROUND AN system in plants Pearson Biology
11 p. 266. Students conduct a

ORGANISM – first-hand experiment to

investigate the role of the vascular
system in transporting materials in
FOR YOU TO DO a plant, and how the composition
of the transport medium change
as it moves around an organism.
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 • Complete the chapter review
questions on pp. 297-299 of your
text
FOR YOU TO • Complete the module 2 review
questions on pp. 300-305 of your

DO •
text.
Complete the module 2 review
questions on pp. 94-97 0f the
Skills and Assessment workbook.

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