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An essay comparing mechanisms for the absorption and carriage of Oxygen in animals occupying different habitats.
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Wed Oct 29 2003
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An essay comparing mechanisms for the absorption and carriage of Oxygen in animals occupying different habitats. The mechanisms for the absorption and carriage of Oxygen in animals are incredibly diverse. However, all the mechanisms in nature, from the spongocoel and osculum of sponges to the lungs of mammals, share three common features that enable the distribution of Oxygen within any organism. Firstly, because gases need to be dissolved in water to diffuse in and out of cells, respiratory surfaces must stay moist to be effective. Secondly, to enable the most effective rate of diffusion the cells that line the respiratory surfaces have to be very thin. Finally, to accommodate an adequate rate of gaseous exchange respiratory systems need a large surface area (in relation to the rest of the organism) that is in contact with the environment that the organism is in (Audesirk 2002). The most basic mechanism for the absorption and...
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