BRAINCAKEFish Gills
The gills of a bony fish are a highly folded exchange surface with a structure built for fast diffusion.
• On each side of the head there are usually four gill arches, bony supports that also carry the main blood vessels.
• Each gill arch carries two rows of thin, flat gill filaments (primary lamellae).
• The upper and lower surfaces of each filament are covered in many tiny folds called gill lamellae (secondary lamellae), which lie at right angles to the filament. The lamellae are the actual site of gas exchange.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
More in Gas Exchange
- Gas Exchange in Insects
- The Tracheal System
- Very Active Insects
- Gas Exchange in Fish
- Ventilating the Gills
- The Countercurrent Exchange System
- Gas Exchange in Plants
- Stomata
All 23 lessons in Gas Exchange · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics