MECHANISM OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS.

INTRODUCTION.

UNICELLULAR ORGANISMS.

Going by the name unicellular, organisms as such have no special respiratory organs. Examples are
Amoeba and Paramecium. Oxygen that dissolves in water diffuse into the body while carbon dioxide
goes out of the body through the entire body surface. The cell membrane acts as the respiratory
surface. The concentration of oxygen in water is higher than that of the body hence, it will diffuse into
all parts of the body and carbon dioxide inside the body which on the other hand is higher than that of
the immediate environment (water) will diffuse out of the body. The taking in of oxygen and giving off of
carbon dioxide from the body is by simple diffusion. Unicellular organisms have large surface area to
volume ratio which allows diffusion through the body surface which is enough to satisfy its gaseous
exchange needs.

INSECTS AND THE TRACHEAL SYSTEM.

Insects have tiny openings in their abdomen for gaseous exchange. These tiny openings care called
SPIRACLES. These spiracles allow for the diffusion of oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide. Spiracles
lead into certain tubes called TRACHEAE(singular trachea), which further divides into smaller tubes
called TRACHEOLES. These tiny tubes get into the tissues and cells through the body fluids.

Activity: draw the diagram of an insect showing the position of the tracheal system.

Insects such as the cockroach, grasshopper etc. use the tracheal system and they perform breathing
movements by compressing the body dorso-ventrally( that is the body is pressed inwards from both
sides along its entire body) and then relaxes it. When the body is compressed, it becomes flattened and
air is expelled from the tracheae through the spiracles. When it relaxes its body, air enters into the
tracheae.

During the process of compression and relaxation of the tracheae, oxygen is taken in. The air taken in is
dissolved in the body fluid at the end of the tracheoles from where it enters the various cells. Carbon
dioxide from the cells diffuses into the body fluid, then into the tracheae and finally comes out of the
insect body through the spiracles.

MECHANISM OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS IN HIGHER ANIMALS.

FISH
The organ for respiration in the fish is the gills. The gills are located at both sides of the head region. The
gills are 3 or 4 in number and they are arranged in the gill chamber. Each gill consist of gill filament and
this is where the gaseous exchange takes place. There is also the gill raker(which helps to stop food
particles from entering the gill chamber) and the gill arch( on which the gill filament s are built). The gill
chamber is closed externally by the operculum(gill cover).

When the fish wants to breathe, it first closes its operculum and then opens its mouth and lowers the
floor of its mouth. Water which contains dissolved oxygen rush into the mouth of the fish. The fish then
closes its mouth, raise the floor of its mouth and the water rushes into the gill chamber and moves
across the gill filaments. Oxygen in the water then diffuses into the gill filaments while carbon dioxide
diffuses out of the body into the water.

After the exchange, the fish now opens its operculum and the water containing dissolved carbon dioxide
then passes out of the body into the river or ocean. The next session involves the closing of the
operculum, and the whole process is repeated.

TADPOLE.
This is the young toad and like the fish, it uses its gills for gaseous exchange. At this stage of the toad,
the tadpole develops external gills through which direct diffusion of gases takes place.

ADULT TOAD.
In the adult toad, there are 3 respiratory surfaces for which gaseous exchange takes place. These are the
skin, the lungs and the mouth.

Activity: draw the diagram of the toad showing the 3 surfaces.

When the toad is submerged completely in water, the respiration is done through the skin. The skin is
made up of thin membraneous tissues that are permeable to water and also contain a large network of
blood vessels. The skin allows the respiratory gases to easily diffuse in and out. When the frog orvtoad is
out of the water, mucus glands in the skin keeps the frog moist and this helps to absorb dissolved
oxygen from the air.

A toad may also use the lungs like the humans by taking in air through the nostrils and down into their
lungs. This mechanism of taking in air into the lungs is however slightly different vfrom humans. Toads
donot have ribs nor diaphragm which in humans help to expand the chest cavity thereby decreasing the
pressure in the lungs to allow air from outside flow in.

In order to draw air into its mouth, the toad lowers the floor of its mouth which causes throat to
expand. The nostrils then close and air in the mouth is forced into the lungs by contraction of the floor
of the mouth. Carbon dioxide is eliminated from the lungs when the floor of the mouth moves down
drawing the air out of the lungs and into the mouth. Finally, the nostrils are opened and the floor of the
mouth is moved up, pushing the air out of the nostrils.

Toads also have a respiratory surface on the lining of their mouth on which gas exchange takes place
readily. While on land, this process is their predominate form of breathing. It only fills the lungs
occasionally and this is so because the lungs are poorly developed.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS IN MAN.

Activity: draw the diagram of the human respiratory system.

NOSE AND MOUTH.

These 2 organs allow the passage of air into the body but the passage of air through the nose is healthier
because of its adaptation.

What are these adaptations?

The nose contains blood capillaries to warm the air

The nose secretes mucus to moist the air

The nose has hairs that filter the air.

Note:

Pharynx is the common passage for air and food

Larynx is the voice box

Trachea is the tube through which the air passes to enter the lungs.

Structure ànd adaptation of the trachea.

The trachea is supported by cartilaginous rings to prevent the trachea from collapsing.

The inner surface of the trachea i s lined with cilia to reject foreign bodies

The trachea is divided into 2 branches called BRONCHI. The bronchi is further divided into
smaller and smaller branches called BRONCHIOLES which open in air sacs called ALVEOLI(LUS).

MECHANISM( VENTILATION OF THE LUNGS).

Breathing depends on two muscles: the diaphragm and the intercoastal muscles. The diaphragm is a disc
shaped muscle found across the human body. It separated the chest from the abdominal cavity. The
intercoastal muscles are found between the ribs to move them. Air enters into the lungs in the two
processes of breathing- Inhalation and exhalation.

Inhalation is the first step in which the intercoastal muscles contract where the ribs move upwards and
diaphragm muscles contract downwards. This leads to increase in the size of the chest cavity while its
internal pressure decrease causing air to get to the lungs through the nose.

Exhalation is the second step. Here, the intercoastal muscles relax while the ribs move downward and
diaphragm muscles relax upward leading to the increase in size of the chest cavity. While its internal
pressure increase, air goes out from the lungs to the outside.
RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS IN PLANTS.
Plants donot have special respiratory organs for gaseous exchange. However, gases move in and out of
plants through the Stomata and Lenticels.

STOMATA.

These are tiny pores present in leaves(lower epidermis) which helps in gaseous exchange. Each stoma is
surrounded by two bean shaped cells called the GUARD CELLS. Stomata are more abundant in the lower
epidermis and very few in the upper epidermis. The opening and closing of the stomata are controlled
by the guard cells.

The Stomata functions as follows:

Gaseous exchange

Photosynthesis

They remain closed during the night due to the loss of water by transpiration.

LENTICELS.

These are breathing pores or tiny openings found in the bark of older stems. Lenticels consist of
a loose mass of small thin walled cells which permit easy diffusion of gases in and out of the
plants.