2

All substances are made up of sub-microscopic

particles called molecules

In gases (like air) the molecules can move freely

In liquids (like water) the molecules can also move

In solids the molecules are more or less stationary

 3
Representation of molecules in a gas

(a) (b)

As a result of their random movements the

molecules become evenly distributed
 4

Next slide
 5
Diffusion
As a result of this random movement, the
molecules of a gas become evenly dispersed

This movement is called DIFFUSION

The scent of a hyacinth diffuses throughout

a room
The scent molecules diffuse from a region
where they are concentrated (the flower) to
regions where they are absent or in low
concentration
 6

One of the ways substances enter and leave cells

is by diffusion

If a substance is more concentrated outside a cell

than inside, the molecules will tend to diffuse
into the cell

If a substance is more concentrated inside the

cell than outside, the molecules will tend to
diffuse out of the cell
 7
Diffusion gradient

The molecules are more densely packed on

the left and so they tend to diffuse into the
space on the right. This is a diffusion gradient

A diffusion gradient
 8
Scale

The scale of the following drawings is greatly

distorted.

Even if the cells were as large as they appear

on the screen, the molecules would still be
invisible particles
 9
Diffusion of oxygen into a cell
The concentration of So the oxygen molecules
oxygen molecules is diffuse into the cell
greater outside the cell
than inside
 10

Because the cell is using up oxygen, the

concentration of oxygen inside the cell is
always lower then the concentration
outside.

The diffusion gradient is maintained

So oxygen continues to diffuse in

 11

If all kinds of substance could diffuse into a cell

there would be a danger that poisonous
substances could diffuse in and kill the cell
If all the substances in a cell could diffuse out
the cell would lose essential substances
(e.g. glucose) needed to keep the cell alive
In fact, although the cell membrane does allow
some substances (e.g. oxygen and carbon
dioxide) to diffuse freely, it controls the exit and
entry of nearly all other substances
 12

Diffusion is slow
For living processes it is effective only over
short distances

The distance from a cell membrane to the

centre of the cell may be 0.1mm or less

Diffusion is rapid enough to keep a cell

supplied with oxygen and food
Single-celled organisms 13

In a single-celled organism (such as Amoeba) the

distance is so small that diffusion is rapid enough
for the cell’s needs

maximum
distance
oxygen is 0.1 mm

carbon dioxide
 14

Single-celled organisms are rarely more than

1mm in diameter

Bacteria range from 1 - 10 microns (1-10 µ )

( 1 µ is one thousandth of a millimetre)

Diffusion is rapid enough for such small

organisms
 15

Inside the bodies of large animals, diffusion of

oxygen into their cells is rapid enough

For transport across the whole body, diffusion

would be much too slow

Large organisms have evolved transport

systems (e.g. blood circulatory systems)
that carry oxygen from outside the body to
the cells inside
 16
Earthworm
diffusion takes place through
the thin skin of the worm

CO2 diffuses
O2 diffuses in out
Section through
worm’s skin

0.04mm

the blood vessels

absorb the O2 and
carry it to the body
 17
Question

Did you notice anything in particular about the

earthworm’s ‘skin’ as seen in the section ?

Have another look.

How might this affect diffusion ?

 18

Humans obtain their oxygen by diffusion

But not through the skin

Although the skin is well supplied with blood

vessels, there are too many layers of cells for
diffusion to be fast enough

Humans have lungs and it is in these lungs

that diffusion occurs
 19
Human lungs

windpipe

lung

diaphragm
position of lungs heart
in thorax human lungs
Lung Structure 20

each tube ends up in

a cluster of tiny air
sacs.
the air passages in the lung
branch into finer and finer tubes
 A single air sac 21
blood supply to air sac

diffusion of
oxygen
air breathed
in and out
diffusion of
carbon dioxide O2

CO2
0.03 mm

question 4
 22

In mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibia,

oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged by
diffusion in the lungs

In fish, this exchange of gases takes place by

diffusion through the gills

The oxygen dissolved in the water diffuses into

the blood vessels in the gills.
Fish 23

gill cover

gills

gill filaments
gill cover cut away
 24

Diffusion takes place through the surface of the gills

Diffusion is a slow process

The branching gill filaments offer a big surface
area through which oxygen and carbon dioxide
can diffuse
In this way, the total diffusion through the gills is
greatly increased
The millions of air sacs in the lungs also vastly
increase the area through which the gases can
diffuse
 25
Plants
Plants have no special organs for breathing

They have to rely on diffusion for their supplies

of oxygen and carbon dioxide
There are pores in the leaves and stems through
which the gases diffuse
In daylight, CO2 (for photosynthesis) will be
diffusing in and O2 will be diffusing out
In darkness, O2 will diffuse in and CO2 will diffuse
out as a result of respiration
 26
Leaf

O2 and CO2
diffuse through
pores in the
epidermis
the ‘veins’
bring water

In a thin leaf, the

diffusion distance
O2 and CO2 diffuse
is short
into the spaces between cells
 27
Question 1

Diffusion can normally take place in

(a) a liquid

(b) a solution

(c) a solid

(d) a gas
 28
Question 2
A fish breathes

(a) water

(b) oxygen dissolved in water

(c) oxygen in the air

(d) carbon dioxide dissolved in water

 29
Question 3
Diffusion takes place as a result of

(a) convection currents

(b) air movements

(c) natural movement of molecules

(d) changes in temperature

 30

Question 4
What is the approximate diameter of
an air sac in the human lung ? (Slide 21)

(a) 0.006 mm

(b) 0.06 mm

(c) 0.6 mm

(d) 6.0 mm
 31

Question 5
In a plant leaf, CO2 diffuses (a) into the air space
between cells, (b) into the cytoplasm, (c) through
the cell wall, (d) through a pore in the epidermis.
The correct sequence is
(a) a,b,c,d

(b) c, b, d, a

(c) d, a, c, b

(d) d, c, a, b
 32

Question 6
Which of these would you expect to diffuse
freely through a cell membrane ?

(a) carbon dioxide

(b) water

(c) proteins

(d) oxygen
 33

Question 7
Through which of these layers would you expect
diffusion to be most rapid ?

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)
 34
Question 8
The cells inside an earthworm receive oxygen
via (a) diffusion into the blood vessels, (b) transport
by the blood, (c) diffusion out of the blood into the
cells, (d) diffusion through the epidermis.
Which of the following is the correct sequence?

(a) b, c, d, a

(b) a, b, c, d
(c) d, a, b, c

(d) d, b, a, c
 35

Answer

Correct
 36

Answer

Incorrect
 37

The earthworm’s ‘skin’ is only one cell thick.

To reach a blood vessel, the oxygen has to diffuse
over a very short distance and so is rapid enough to
meet the earthworm’s needs.

The single cell layer is an epidermis rather than

a ‘skin’.

single cell