gas exchange in fish Flashcards
what is the concentration of oxygen in water like
it has a low concentraton
what is the gas exchange surface in fish
gills
what are gills made out of
thin plates called gill filaments
what do gill filaments do
increase the surface area of the gill
what are gill filaments covered in
lamellaes
what do lamellaes do
increase the surface area even more
name 2 features lamellaes have to speed up diffusion
lots of blood capillaries
thin surface layer of cells
what is the counter current system
where blood flows through the lamellaes in one direction and water flows over them in the opposite direction
what does the counter current system ensure
that water with high oxygen levels always flow next to blood with lower oxygen levels
what is maintained in the counter current system
a steep concentration gradient
