Adaptations of the human lungs for gas exchange
I can describe how the human lungs are adapted to increase the amount of gas exchange.
Adaptations of the human lungs for gas exchange
I can describe how the human lungs are adapted to increase the amount of gas exchange.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The lungs are made up of tiny air sacs called alveoli.
- Gas exchange takes place between air in alveoli and blood in capillaries.
- There are millions of alveoli to increase the surface area of the lungs for gas exchange.
- The walls of the alveoli are one cell thick to create a short diffusion distance for gas exchange.
- The alveoli are surrounded by capillaries carrying blood, to maintain a concentration gradient for gas exchange.
Keywords
Alveoli - Alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs that carry out gas exchange.
Capillary - A capillary is a narrow blood vessel that allows the exchange of substances between tissues and blood.
Diffusion - The movement of particles from a high concentration to a low concentration is known as diffusion.
Surface area - Surface area is the total area of all the exposed surfaces of an object.
Common misconception
Pupils often refer to the walls of the alveoli as "cell walls".
This lesson makes the scale of different parts of the gas exchange system clear (e.g. whether a structure is a tissue or cell).
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
creates a short diffusion distance.
provides a large surface area for diffusion.
maintains a concentration gradient of gases.