1.1.23

The Lungs

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Gas Exchange in the Lungs

To exchange gases with the environment, animals have lungs. Lungs are complex organs that work to maximise the diffusion of useful gases such as oxygen into, and harmful gases such as carbon dioxide out of, the body.

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The gas exchange system

  • It is important that multicellular organisms can exchange substances with the outside world, such as nutrients as well as gases.
  • To make this happen efficiently and quickly, some animals have evolved gas exchange surfaces called lungs.
  • The lungs can absorb oxygen from the environment into the body as well as remove carbon dioxide from the blood back out into the air.
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Parts of the gas exchange system

  • The gas exchange system is more than just the lungs - it contains all the bones and tubes that carry air around your body.
  • The parts are:
    • The trachea.
    • The bronchus.
    • The bronchioles.
    • The left and right lungs.
    • The alveoli.
    • The diaphragm.

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1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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