BIOLOGY FORM 5

Chapter 1: transport

SUBTOPICS

• The Importance of Having a Transport System in Some Multicellular Organisms

• The Circulatory System
• The Mechanism of Blood Clotting
• The Lymphatic System
• The Role of the Circulatory System in the Body’s Defence Mechanism
• Appreciating a Healthy Cardiovascular System
• The Transport of Substances in Plants
• The Transport of Organic Substances & Water in Plants

1.1 The Importance of Having a Transport System in Some Multicellular Organisms

• LEARNING OUTCOMES :
• To identify the problem that could be faced by multicellular
organisms in obtaining their cellular requirements & getting rid of
their waste products

• To suggest how the problem is overcome in multicellular

organisms

• All living organisms need to constantly exchange substances between cells &
their external environment (food, waste & gases).

• All this process is performed by a transport system.

• Small organisms have a large total surface area to volume (TSA/V) ratio. So,
diffusion of substances occurs rapidly (short distance only).

• Some simple organisms such as flatworms have thin flatten bodies à provide a
large surface area

• In Hydra, water enters through the mouth into the body cavity. As the body wall
is only two cell layers thick, substances can move rapidly into or out of the body
cells.
• Do not require a specialised internal transport system

• Larger organisms, increased need for more nutrients & oxygen to be supplied to
the larger number of cells. Need to excrete more waste products.

• The size increases, TSA/V ratio decreases.

• Many of the body cells are too far away from the external surface or between
different parts of the body.

• Simple diffusion occurs at too slow a rate to sustain cellular activities.

• Larger multicellular organisms have adapted by developing specialised

structures to increase the surface area for exchange of substances.

• Have developed an internal transport system of vessels or tubes.

• In human & more complex animals, there is development of a blood circulation

system to carry the substances.

• In plants, transport of substances is carried out by the vascular system (xylem &
phloem).
EXPERIMENT 1.1 : Determining the relationship between total surface area to
volume ratio & its effect on the rate of diffusion

• AIM : To determine the relationship between TSA/V ratio & its effect on the rate
of diffusion
• PROBLEM STATEMENT : What is the effect of TSA/V ratio on the rate of
diffusion of substances?
• HYPOTHESIS : the larger the size of the object, the smaller the total surface
area to volume ratio & the lower the rate of diffusion
• VARIABLES : Manipulated – size of potato cubes, Responding – Area stained
relative to total surface area of cut surface, Fixed – red ink solution, potato
• MATERIAL : potatoes, coloured solution
• APPARATUS : 400 ml beaker, white tile, knife, ruler & forcep.

• PROCEDURE :
– A knife is used to cut 3 potato cubes with the dimensions 1cm x 1cm x
1cm, 2cm x 2cm x 2cm, 4cm x 4cm x4cm
– The 3 potato cubes are immersed in coloured solution for 30 minutes
– The potato cubes are removed from the beaker. Each potato is cut in half.
– The region stained by the colour solution are observed.

• RESULT :
A B C

Original length (cm) 1 2 4

Original width (cm) 1 2 4

Original height (cm) 1 2 4

Total surface area (cm2)

Volume (cm3)

TSA/V ratio

Relative rate of diffusion

 • DISCUSSION :

• CONCLUSION :
– Make your own conclusion

EXERCISE 1.1

1. State two problems faced by multicellular organisms in obtaining their cellular

requirements & removing waste product.

2. State how these problems are overcome in multicellular organisms.

3. Explain why unicellular organisms do not face the problems listed in (Q1).