GAS EXCHANGE

 Provide oxygen for aerobic respiration (breathing or

pulmonary ventilation)
 Eliminate CO2 as waste product of respiration
 Sound production or vocalization
 Formation of carbonate-bicarbonate buffer
 Simple
diffusion across plasma membrane – eg. In
Amoeba, Paramecium, Hydra

 Cutaneous exchange (integument (skin) or body

surface) – eg. In amphibians (frog- also has lungs)

 Trachea – eg. In insects, millipedes, centipedes

 Gills – in mollusks, crustaceans, fishes, amphibians

 Lungs – in land vertebrates

Book Lungs – eg. in Arachnids
 Air Conducting Portion
Buccal Cavity/Oral cavity/Mouth
1. Nasal region
Nose/External & Internal Nares (choanae) – where air
enters; filters air through ciliated mucosa
Pharynx- short tube for passage of air & food
Nasopharynx- behind nose
Oropharynx- behind mouth
Laryngopharynx- behind pharynx leading to the larynx

Glottis – opens up to allow air to flow to & from

oropharynx to the lungs & back to oropharynx
 2. Laryngeal region – at posterior end of pharynx
Larynx or voice organ/box - in humans, it is a box-
like cartilaginous structure located below pharynx
Contains the ff :
arytenoids 2 parts in frog
cricoid or “signet ring” cartilage – encircle
arytenoids like a ring
*posterior cornua – support the larynx
thyroid cartilage or “Adams apple” (in humans)
epiglottis or “lid cartilage” – in humans, flap-like
structure that closes the glottis when swallowing food
vocal cords ( vocal sac in most male frogs-for
attracting sexual partner) – thin, elastic band that
vibrates & produce sound
3. Trachea/Windpipe – cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx &
bronchi
- absent in frog
- branches into right & left bronchi
- lined with ciliated mucosa
- serves as passageway for air

4. Bronchus – short tube that connects the larynx & the lungs in frog
(left & right bronchi) while the trachea & lungs in human
2 parts:
Cartilaginous ring – encircle the upper border of the
pulmonary sac, or lung
Membranous structure – mantle-like structure that can be
lifted leaving a gap between the cricoid & cartilaginous ring

- branches into smaller tubes called bronchioles

- at the of each bronchiole are alveoli
 Gas exchange Portion
Lungs – cone-shaped, bulbous sac occupying the
forward end of the pleuroperitoneal cavity
- covered by a membrane called pleura

Associated Structures:
Alveolar sacs – small air pockets in lungs
Alveoli – grape-like outpouchings at each
alveolar sac where actual gas exchange takes
place between capillary blood & alveoli
-functional unit of lungs
Respiratory bronchiole

Alveoli
 Nasal cavity

Pharynx

Larynx

Trachea

Bronchi

Alveoli of Lungs
 Nasal cavity

Pharynx

Larynx

Bronchi

Alveoli of Lungs
A system of providing fresh air (Webster, 1969)
 Also called breathing
 Two Phases:
1. Inhalation/Inspiration- intake of air
- occurs when alveolar pressure falls
below atmospheric pressure
2. Exhalation/Expiration – outflow of air
- occurs when alveolar pressure is higher
than atmospheric pressure
 Two Stages of Respiration
1. External respiration or pulmonary gas exchange
– exchange of gases between the alveoli &
pulmonary blood capillaries
- takes place via vascular membranes w/ thin moist
epithelia
2. Internal Respiration or systemic gas exchange –
exchange of gases between systemic blood
capillaries & tissue cells
 Occursthrough simple diffusion (from areas of
higher concentration to areas of lower
concentration)
Carbon
Oxygen dioxide

Alveoli of Blood
lungs cells

Tissue Tissue
fluids fluids

Blood Alveoli of
cells lungs
 Intercostal & diaphragm muscles contract

Pull ribs closer together (diaphragm flattens)

Enlarged thoracic cavity

Pressure in cavity drop below the atmospheric

pressure

Air rushes into the lungs

Lungs inflate
 In anurans, involve a 3rd compartment, the vocal sac, a
chamber opening off the floor of the oropharyngeal
cavity

Contraction of body-wall muscles

Air rushes out from lungs

Laryngeal opening

Buccal cavity

Vocal sacs inflated

I
Contraction of throat muscles

Air flows back from vocal sacs

Buccal cavity

Through laryngeal opening

Lungs inflated
 Back & forth airflow (nares closed to prevent air
escape)

Air expelled from lungs

Vocal cords of larynx are vibrated

Sound production
Inflated vocal sac as resonating chamber to modulate
sound