MODULE : Exchange and Transport

OCR AS Biology level

ALL LIVING CELLS NEED:

• Oxygen for aerobic respiration

• Glucose as a source of energy

• Proteins for growth and repair

• Fats to make membranes and to be a store of energy

• Water

• Minerals to maintain water potential and to help enzyme action and other aspect of metabolism

ALL LIVING CELLS MUST REMOVE WASTE PRODUCTS LIKE :

• Carbon dioxyde - in animals and microorganisms and from plant cells not actively carrying out
photosynthesis

• Oxygen - from photosynthesis in some plant cells and protoctists

• Excess Nitrogen - in the form of ammonia and urea

WHAT IS AN EXCHANGE SURFACE?

This is a specialised surface that is adapted to make it easier for molecules to cross from one side of the
surface to the other.

• KEY FEATURES OF EXCHANGE SURFACES :

Large surface area - provide more space for molecules to pass through

Thin barrier - to reduce thge diffusion distance

Fresh supply of molecules - to maintain the high concentration gradient on one side of
membrane

Removal of required molecules - to maintain the low concentration on the other side of
membrane

SPECIALISED EXCHANGE SURFACES :

these are found where substances need to be removed and waste products need to be added to transport
systems.
 example :

• Alveoli for the gas exchange in mammals

• Small intestine for the absorption of nutrients

• Liver in adjusting of sugar level

• Root hair cells for water and mineral abroption

• Hyphae of fungi for the absorption of nutrients

WHICH ORGANISMS NEED SPECIAL EXCHANGE SURFACES?

• Single celled organisms - don't need SES because they are able to easily exchange gases,
nutrients, and waste products across their outer surface and they have a large SA : VOL ratio

• Multicellular organisms - require SES because they are enable to easily exchange gases, nutrients
and waste products fast enough to keep all cell alive. also, they have smaller SA : VOL ratio.

SURFACE AREA TO VOLUME RATIO :

• single-celled organisms have their entire outer surface in contact with their environment but the
multicellular organisms not have

• Gases, Nutrients, and waste products can enter and leave the cell across this surface

• The amount of cell surface area relative to the volume of cell is large for single-celled organisms

• on the multicellular organisms the gases, nutrients, and waste products can not leave and enter the
organisms at rate fast enough to keep all cells alive

• this substances also have greater distances to travel

• the amount of cell surface area relative to the volume of the cells is small for multicellular
organisms