Year 12 Diversity in animal gas exchange systems

Note: For visitors not in Mr Cooper's biology class, this page is a loose set of resources to assist students in completing an independent project to compare the gas exchange system of organisms 

Gas exchange

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is a necessary process for all animals. Oxygen is required for aerobic cellular respiration which produces ATP to drive cellular processes. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of respiration. Without sufficient oxygen, organisms will not be able to produce enough energy to survive. Similarly, an over abundance of carbon dioxide inside organisms can become damaging, toxic and even lead to death.

The unique niches occupied by animals require a rich diversity of adaptations (structural, behavioural and physiological) to help organisms perform gas exchange in a way that responds to oxygen availability and works to sufficiently meet their energy demands.

For the purpose of this project you are to explore 3 different gas exchange systems (Ex. human/fish/insect) You should identify how each system allows for these common features which are required for gas exchange:

1) Ventilation
2) Dissolution of oxygen
3) Diffusion across a thin membrane
4) Maintenance of a concentration gradient

In your description of each gas exchange system you must highlight adaptations that are unique to each animal group. you may use diagrams, but these must be labelled by you, not simply cut and pasted from the web.

Merit and Excellence

Compare how systems increases the efficiency of each of the features of a gas exchange and provide a discussion as to why a one sized fits all gas exchange system for animals would not be suitable.
You may look at limitations of each system and contrast how efficiency is improved in each system to meet different needs (think of energy and environment).

Below are some resources for you to use in your exploration of the diversity of gas exchange systems. Please find some of your own.

General

http://www.biologymad.com/resources/M6GasExchange.pdf
http://www.shmoop.com/animal-movement/animal-respiration.html

Insects

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/T/Tracheal_Breathing.html
http://insects.about.com/od/morphology/f/breathing.htm

Fish