BRAINCAKEVery Active Insects
At rest, diffusion through the tracheal system supplies an insect with enough oxygen. Very active insects, such as flying locusts, bees and beetles, have flight muscles with a very high respiration rate. Diffusion alone cannot deliver oxygen quickly enough, so these insects have extra adaptations.
1. Withdrawal of tracheal fluid
During intense activity the flight muscles respire partly anaerobically, producing lactate. Lactate is soluble and lowers the water potential of the muscle cells. Water moves by osmosis out of the ends of the tracheoles into the muscle cells. This draws air further down the tracheoles, so more of the tracheole surface holds air rather than fluid. Oxygen diffuses much faster through air than through liquid, and the surface area available for exchange increases, so oxygen reaches the muscles faster.
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Key terms in this lesson
- tracheal fluid
- The liquid that normally fills the ends of an insect's tracheoles, in which oxygen dissolves before diffusing into cells.
More in Gas Exchange
- Exhalation
- Protecting the Lungs
- Gas Exchange in Insects
- The Tracheal System
- Gas Exchange in Fish
- Fish Gills
- Ventilating the Gills
- The Countercurrent Exchange System
All 23 lessons in Gas Exchange · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics