Animal Group

Humans (lungs)

Fish (Gills)

Insects (Tracheal)

Structure
Nose/mouth: (allow air in & out of
body)
Lungs (trachea divide into 2 bronchi)
Bronchi (tracheal tube divides into 2,
which branch further)
Bronchioles (branches of bronchi
tubes)
Diaphragm (sheet of muscle
underneath lungs)
Alveoli (millions of tiny air sacs at
bronchiole ends, large SA, rich
bloody supply, walls thin moist and
elastic.
Buccal cavity (mouth): (allows entry
of water)
Gill cover/operculum (protects gills
& helps pump water)
Gills (made of many rows of
filaments)
Filaments (make up gills, held
together by gill bar)
Lamellae (thin flaps on filaments
provide large SA, capillaries flow
through)

Chitin
Spiracles (openings on side of body)
Spiracle valves (control opening &
closing of spiracles)
Tracheae (tube networks)
Tracheoles (smaller branches of
tubes)
Fluid endings (moist tube endings
making contact with cells
Air sacs (act as bellows to help
pump air into body cavity)

Function
Breathing: Diaphragm contracts, inc volume
of chest cavity (& decreasing pressure), draws
air into lungs then relaxes, dec volume of
chest cavity (& increasing pressure), air
expelled.
Gas exchange: occurs between air and blood
across alveoli walls (transport system
required) - O2 in & CO2 out
Tidal flow (in and out, rhythmic movements)

Environment
Transport system & respiratory pigments
required due to large body size &
complexity, and to increase efficiency of O 2
extraction.
Lung surface must be internal so that it
remains moist for gas exchange.
Lung surfactants overcome the problem of
surface tension (alveoli are hard to inflate
when moist)

Breathing: Mouth opens with operculum

closed (volume increases, pressure decreases)
to draw water into buccal cavity then shuts
as operculum opens (volume decreases,
pressure increases) forcing water over gills
and out under operculum

Supports rapid swimming speeds and large

fish size. System needed due to lowered
SA:V ratio (body size)

Gas exchange: between water and blood

capillaries (countercurrent flow) across
lamellae surface to maximize oxygen
extraction from water one way flow only

Transport system needed for gases due to

body size/cell number (tracheal system not
suitable) - O2 carried by pigments to increase
efficiency

Breathing: Body muscles relax to draw air

into air sacs & tubes, then contract to expel
air (rhythmic body movements)

Not suitable for land mammals. Gill

filaments need water to keep surfaces apart
and will dry out in air.
Direct exchange of gases with cells supports
high levels of activity (no transport system
or respiratory pigments)

Gas exchange: directly in and out of cells via

fluid endings (dissolve gases at tube endings),
and diffusion into cells (explain conc
gradients). Transport system not required

Countercurrent exchange needed as water

contains 30x less dissolved O2 than air

Spiracle valves close with muscle movement

which limits water loss (can live in dry
climates)
Suitable only for small body size (SA:V
ratio, and high proportion of tracheal mass)