Organisms Exchange Substances With Their Environment Flashcards
(119 cards)
Why do cells need to exchange substances with their environment?
- cells need oxygen and nutrients e.g. glucose
- organisms need to excrete waste products
- heat needs to be exchanged as most organisms need to stay at the same temperature.
What is metabolism?
The sum total of all chemical reactions that happen in the body/ cells. Including respiration.
What is a byproduct of respiration?
Heat
Why do warm blooded animals do more respiration?
To maintain body temperature.
What is the total oxygen requirement of an organism correlated to?
It’s total volume
Why do larger organisms require more oxygen?
Larger/ more cells, therefore requiring more energy for cellular processes.
What is the rate of absorption of gasses by an organism correlated to?
The size of its surface area. Larger membrane would mean more molecular movement.
Why must the volume always be at 1 when showing the relationship between surface area and volume?
Allows direct comparison between organisms of different sizes.
By which process do single-celled organisms exchange gases across their body surface?
Simple diffusion
Why do single-celled organisms have a fast diffusion rate?
- they are small and so have a short diffusion pathway
- they have a large SA:Vol ratio due to their small volume compared to the surface area of their cell surface membrane.
What are the disadvantages of larger organisms having lower SA:vol ratios?
-diffusion is too slow as some cells are deep within the body
-a large volume of animals has requirements too high for the available surface area.
Why do multicellular organisms have an increased metabolic demand?
They have more cells
Why do multicellular organisms have a slower rate of diffusion?
-large diffusion distance to inner most cells
-lower SA:vol ratio
What adaptations have multicellular organisms evolved to increase surface area?
Some organisms have evolved to have a body shape which maximises their surface area. E.g. by being flattened or elongated.
Give examples of specialised exchange organs that organisms have developed to maximise gas exchange and transport.
-Gills in fish and amphibians, folded into lamella
-lungs in mammals folded into alveoli
Both increase surface area for exchange
Give an example of a specialised delivery system that organisms have developed to maximise gas exchange and transport.
Th oxygen diffuses into the circulatory system (mass transport) to deliver gasses directly to cells.
What have insects developed for gas exchange and transport?
Tracheal system
What is the tracheal system?
Series of specialised tubes in direct contact t with cells. They also maintain a small size to maintain a short diffusion distance. Tubes carry o2 directly to cells.
The epithelial cells that line the small intestines are adapted for the absorption of glucose. Explain how (5 marks)
1.Microvilli provide a large / increased surface area;
2.Many mitochondria produce ATP / release or provide energy (for active transport);
3.Carrier proteins for active transport;
4.Channel / carrier proteins for facilitated diffusion;
5.Co-transportof sodium (ions) and glucose or symport / carrier protein for sodium (ions) and glucose;
6.Membrane-bound enzymes digest disaccharides / produce glucose;
Covert 2cm2 to mm2
200mm2
Convert 1.5×10^-8m2 to um2
15000um2
Convert 5×10^3 dm3 to cm3
5000000cm3
5×10^6 cells in 20cm3, how many in 3mm3
750 cells
List examples of substances exchanges with the environment
- oxygen and carbon dioxide
- urea/ ammonia
- heat