Fish Respiration Flashcards
What happens first in respiration?
water enters mouth and gill rakers strains the debris
What does gill arch do?
Provide structural support for gills
What are the tiny hairs on the gill filaments?
lamellae
What does the lamellae do?
increases surface area to make gas exchange easier.
What happens in countercurrent exchange?
water comes into fish’s mouth is full of oxygen -> oxygen from water, diffuses into the lamellae and water has less oxygen -> blood coming into the lamellae has little oxygen and picks up more when after passing the gill filaments -> when blood returns to fish, it has high oxygen concentration
When water exits fish, it has less oxygen than when it began
What is diffusion in fish?
anything from a region of higher concentration flows to a region of lower concentration
bc there is more oxygen in the water compared to bloodstream, oxygen flows to the lamellae since there is less oxygen concentration
What is countercurrent?
water and blood flowing in opposite directions.
-maximizes diffusion
What is the part where oxygen is absorbed?
lamellae
Where does gas exchange take place
capillaries in the lamellae
What is the blood like when it arrives at the heart?
deoxygenated blood
