BRAINCAKEThe Need for Specialised Exchange Surfaces
Oxygen, glucose and fatty acids are needed for respiration and carbon dioxide needs to be removed. Exchange can be passive (diffusion, osmosis) or active (active transport, endocytosis, exocytosis).
The rate and amount of substance exchanged depends on the organism's requirements and rate of waste production will depend on the size and metabolic rate of the organism. The exchange surface is therefore adapted to meet the requirements of each organism.
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Key terms in this lesson
- diffusion
- The net passive movement of molecules or ions from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration, down a concentration gradient.
- osmosis
- The net movement of water molecules from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential through a selectively permeable membrane.
- active transport
- The movement of molecules or ions across a membrane from a region of lower to higher concentration, against the concentration gradient, using ATP and carrier proteins.
More in Exchange of Gases
- Tissue Fluid
- Surface Area to Volume Ratio
- The Rate of Diffusion
- Features of A Specialised Exchange Surface
- Gas Exchange in Unicellular Organisms
- Gas Exchange in Insects
- Diffusion Gradient
- Mass Transport
All 28 lessons in Exchange of Gases · All AQA AS-level Biology topics