The Significance of Diffusion in Living Things

Diffusion is the passive movement of molecules from an area of higher

concentration to an area of lower concentration down a concentration gradient. It is
extremely important for living things as it aids them in their respiration and digestion;
in terms of the circulatory system, diffusion allows the useful gases to enter the blood
and thus be carried to where it is needed, and it also removes the waste gases; they
diffuse back into the lungs where they then get breathed out. It means various
substances are able to passively move through an organism, without the organism
having to expend energy transporting these materials throughout the body.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080610161807AAUr9tw
In terms of digestion, once the food has been broken down into small enough
molecules by the digestive enzymes, they then pass through to the bloodstream again
by diffusion, where the nutrients are taken to the part of the body where they are
needed. http://www.blurtit.com/q489021.html
Several factors affect the rate of diffusion; the most significant ones being
larger surface area, temperature, concentration gradient and the thickness of the gas
exchange surface. If there is a larger surface area there is a greater area in which the
molecules can diffuse across; obviously, the smaller the area for molecules to diffuse
across the slower diffusion will take place. If a temperature is increased, the rate of
diffusion will increase too: when molecules are heated they gain more energy and so
they move faster. This means they are more likely to diffuse across a membrane as
they have more energy to do so. Finally, the higher the concentration the quicker
molecules will diffuse as if there are lots of them in a small space, they will knock
into each other more frequently, thus giving them more movement to cross a
permeable membrane. If the gas exchange surface is thick, some molecules may be
too large to pass through, slowing down the rate of diffusion. If the gas exchange
surface is thin, molecules can diffuse through it quicker, and the rate of diffusion is
increased.
Fick’s law states that the rate of diffusion across a gas exchange surface is
proportional to three things:

Surface area x difference in concentration

Thickness of gas exchange surface

It also states that respiratory surfaces must have a large surface area, a thin permeable
surface and a moist exchange surface.

Different organisms are adapted in different ways to ensure efficient gas

exchange; equally, organisms are adapted in different ways to ensure that they
maximize the uptake of oxygen by diffusion. Different methods are used by:

1) The Flatworm
The flat worm exchanges gases only by diffusion through their body
surface. This is only possible because all the cells are located
close to the outside of the flatworm; this means that the gases
do not have very far to travel and so diffusion can happen
quicker. Their small size and flattened shape means that they
have a high surface area to volume ratio, which gives better absorption of oxygen
from the environment. Also, they can flatten themselves further, which increases their
surface area even more meaning there is less distance internally for the gases to
diffuse through, making the whole process far more efficient. Flatworms have a moist
skin and this means that the gases can diffuse more easily through a membrane,
meaning they can intake more oxygen at any given time. There is a far greater
concentration of oxygen outside the body than inside the body, therefore this means
that diffusion occurs more quickly in attempts to even out the balance.

http://www.biology-questions-and-answers.com/flatworms.html
http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/Bio%20102/Bio
%20102%20lectures/Circulatory%20System/circulat.htm
http://www.coursework.info/GCSE/Biology/Green_Plants_as_Organisms/How_are_aquatic_invertebrates_adapted_fo_L
34427.html

2) The locust

Locusts, like most insects, have what entomologists

refer to as a ventilatory system. Instead of using a
circulatory system and haemoglobin most insects
directly vent every cell with the outside environment
and exchange oxygen directly. Along an insects' side,
there are small holes called spiracles; these are the
openings to the ventilatory system. These lead to an
intricate network of tunnels inside their bodies. Air
diffuses into the openings, and gas exchange takes
place in the walls of the tunnels between their blood/internal tissues, and the air. It is
thought that simple diffusion is the main process to get oxygen in or carbon dioxide
out. The tunnels in the locust’s bodies have very thin walls; this ensures that gases can
diffuse in and out quickly. Also because it is a network of tunnels, this means that
there is a large surface area of them, giving the gases more room to diffuse. The fluid
as shown in the picture keeps the tunnels moist, allowing gases to diffuse in and out
more efficiently.

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/sep99/936759476.Gb.r.html
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081106134901AAjhsY3

3) The Fish
Gill filaments have rows of thin, vertical lamellae with many capillaries, covered by a
single layer of cells. This ensures a short diffusion distance, and also a large surface
area for the gases to diffuse across. Water flows under and over the gill filaments, and
oxygen is removed by blood in the
capillaries. The capillaries carry blood in
the opposite direction to which the oxygen
was coming in, and this is called a
counter-current system. The counter
current system is an advantage to fish as it optimises oxygen intake. It ensures a good
diffusion gradient along the capillary as the oxygen is always being taken away, and
therefore diffusion can happen more efficiently.
 Counter Current
http://www.teachable.net/gas-exchange-in-fish-and-insects.aspx

4) The Frog

Frogs can breath through their skin, with tiny blood vessels, capillaries, under the
outer skin layers, because frog skin is water permeable. They have a 'seat pouch', an
area on their bellies which is designed for water absorption.
The water contains the oxygen, which they need to extract.
When they expel it from their bodies, it removes

the waste carbon dioxide with it. Frog skin is extremely thin
– they can eliminate carbon dioxide 2.5 timed faster through
their skin than they can through their lungs. There are mucus
glands in the frog’s skin. This means that the skin can remain moist, even when the
frog is in dry surroundings. This is essential for efficient diffusion, as it means the
gases can move through the skin more quickly. Frog’s skin absorbs a lot of dissolved
oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere, too.
http://www.thefrog.org/biology/breathing/breathing.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080527201714AA1Rk5G

5) Mammals
Mammals do not breath through their skin, like other types of animals, but they still
use diffusion for their gas exchange. In the lungs there are lots of tiny little air sacs
called alveoli. These have a large surface area
and are moist so that the gases can diffuse
quickly and easily. The also have a very good
blood supply to them and are covered in
capillaries; this means that when the oxygen has
diffused in, it can be moved off quickly so the
concentration gradient is constantly high. This
makes diffusion more efficient. The alveoli also
have very thin walls, as do the capillaries
surrounding them (only one cell thick). This
means the gases do not have as far to travel and
so they diffuse quicker.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/en/f/fd/Anatomy_and_physiology_of_animals
_Alveoli_with_blood_supply.jpg