BRAINCAKEFeatures of a Mass Transport System
A mass transport system moves substances in bulk from one part of an organism to another by mass flow: a whole body of fluid moves, carrying dissolved and suspended substances with it. This is much faster than diffusion over long distances.
Mass transport systems in animals share several features:
• A transport medium: a fluid that carries substances, such as blood. It is mainly water, which is a good solvent and flows easily.
• Vessels: tubes that carry the medium and direct it to where it is needed, such as arteries, capillaries and veins.
• A pump: a way of creating a pressure difference so the medium flows, such as the heart. In plants, differences in water potential and pressure play this role instead.
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Key terms in this lesson
- haemoglobin
- A globular, conjugated protein in red blood cells made of four polypeptide chains, each with a haem prosthetic group, that transports oxygen.
More in Circulatory Systems
- The Need for Transport Systems
- Circulation Systems
- Single Circulation System
- Double Circulation System
- Cardiovascular System
- Components of Blood
- Plasma
- Erythrocytes
All 33 lessons in Circulatory Systems · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics