Organs of Respiration and
Their Mechanism of Action
, Introduction
• One of the principal functions of most circulatory fluids is to carry oxygen and ca
dioxide through the body and exchange these gases with the environment.
• With few exceptions, oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration.
• All animals can take in oxygen from their surroundings while at the same time relea
carbon dioxide, a metabolic waste product of respiration.
• Gas exchange in nearly all animals operates according to certain common princ
regardless of any structural modifications that serve to enhance the process u
different conditions.
• The basic strategy is to bring the environmental medium (water or air) close to
appropriate body fluid (blood or body cavity fluid) so that the two are separated on
a wet membrane across which the gases can diffuse.
• The system must be moist because the gases must be in solution in order to dif
across the membrane.
• The diffusion process depends on the concentration gradients of the gases at
exchange site; these gradients are maintained by the circulation of internal fluids to
away from these areas.
, (A) Oxygen is obtained from the environment at a gas exchange surface, such as an epithelial lay
(B) O₂ transported by a circulatory body fluid
(C) O₂ to the body's cells and tissues
(D) Cellular respiration and release of CO₂
Their Mechanism of Action
, Introduction
• One of the principal functions of most circulatory fluids is to carry oxygen and ca
dioxide through the body and exchange these gases with the environment.
• With few exceptions, oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration.
• All animals can take in oxygen from their surroundings while at the same time relea
carbon dioxide, a metabolic waste product of respiration.
• Gas exchange in nearly all animals operates according to certain common princ
regardless of any structural modifications that serve to enhance the process u
different conditions.
• The basic strategy is to bring the environmental medium (water or air) close to
appropriate body fluid (blood or body cavity fluid) so that the two are separated on
a wet membrane across which the gases can diffuse.
• The system must be moist because the gases must be in solution in order to dif
across the membrane.
• The diffusion process depends on the concentration gradients of the gases at
exchange site; these gradients are maintained by the circulation of internal fluids to
away from these areas.
, (A) Oxygen is obtained from the environment at a gas exchange surface, such as an epithelial lay
(B) O₂ transported by a circulatory body fluid
(C) O₂ to the body's cells and tissues
(D) Cellular respiration and release of CO₂
