Transport in animals

Transport is the movement of materials from one part of the organism to another. Transport
involves diffusion, and active transport in simple and small animal and at cellular level.

Big animals require a mass flow circulatory system to deliver food materials and other
essentials and remove waste products from the cell. This is because big animals have small
surface area to volume ratio that they cannot meet their transport requirement by diffusion.

Advantages for circulatory systems in big animals

1. Supplies metabolites and removes waste products from the cells at a faster rate than
diffusion would do.
2. It enables separation of materials transported; e.g. oxygenated blood is transported
different vessels from those that transport deoxygenated blood.
3. Impermeability of external surface to conserve water. Example of thick cuticle of
insects.
4. Avoids utilization of materials along the way.

The blood
Blood is a specialized tissue consisting of several types of cells suspended in fluid medium
called plasma.

Functions of mammalian blood

1. Transport of soluble organic compounds from the small intestine to various parts of the
body.
2. Transport of soluble excretory matters to organs of excretion.
3. Transport of hormones from glands where they are formed to target organs.
4. Distribution of heat in order to maintain the body temperature
5. Defense against diseases, which may be obtained through blood clotting, phagocytosis and
immunity.
6. Maintenance of a right blood solute potential as a result of plasma proteins activity.
7. Transportation of respiratory gases i.e., CO2 &O2
Components of blood
1. Water:
This maintains blood pressure and volume. It’s where dissolved materials are
transported around the body. Pressure is particularly important since the glomerulus
require high pressure to form urine.
2. Plasma proteins:
These include
(i) Serum albumen; abundant to increase the viscosity of blood and binds with
calcium. Calcium is important for the functioning of enzymes and contraction
of muscles.
(ii) Serum globulin which include
 α-globulin, which binds with and transports hormone thyroxine, lipids
and fat-soluble vitamins; A, D, E, K.
 β-globulin, binds and transport iron, cholesterol and fat soluble
vitamins; A, D, E, K.
 γ-globulin are antibodies produced by lymphocytes for immune
response.
(iii) Prothrombin- a catalytic agent involved in blood clotting.
(iv) Fibrinogen- a protein involved in blood clotting.
(v) Enzymes- that control rate of metabolic activities in blood.
(vi) Mineral salts: include Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HPO42-,HCO3-, Cl-, etc. they
regulate osmotic pressure and pH level of blood. Ca2+ helps nervous
transmission and blood clotting.
(vii) Dissolved products od digestion, excretory products, vitamins and hormones
that are transported in the body
(a) Erythrocytes: Produced in the liver in infants, embryo and cartilaginous organisms or in
bone marrow in those organisms that have bones. Their function is to carry oxygen.

Adaptations of red blood cells to its function

1. They have a biconcave disc shape to increase the surface area for absorption of oxygen.
2. They lack a nucleus, which permits haemoglobin to be packed into the cell.
3. They are small therefore able to squeeze between capillaries
4. They have a thin membrane permitting efficient diffusion of gases (short distance for
diffusion)
5. They contain haemoglobin, which has a high affinity for oxygen.
6. They do not carry out any metabolism so they do not utilize the oxygen being
transported.

The Human circulatory

The circulatory system consists of three independent systems that work together: the heart
(cardiovascular), lungs (pulmonary), and arteries, veins, coronary and portal vessels
(systemic). The system is responsible for the flow of blood, nutrients, oxygen and other
gases, and as well as hormones to and from cell
The figure below shows the main blood vessels in the human Circulatory system
 Arties and vein
Arteries transport blood at high pressure to the body from the heart while veins transport
blood at low pressure from the body to the heart.

Adaptation of the artery

-thick wall to accommodate high pressure
- have a narrow lumens to maintain high pressures
- some arteries like aorta valves to prevent back flow of blood.

Adaptation of veins
-wide lumen to lower resistance to blood flow
-valves allow blood tom flow in one direction

Differences between arteries and veins

Arteries veins
1 Thick wall Thin walls
2. Narrow lumen Broad lume
3. Have no valves except pulmonary Have valves
artery and aorta
4. Carry oxygenated blood except Carry deoxygenated blood except
pulmonary artery
5. Pulse detectable Pulse not detectable
6. Empty at time of death Get filled up at death.

Capillaries
Is where exchange believe blood and cell takes place

Adaptation of capillaries
- thin walls for fast diffusion
- Ramify the body to increase surface area for exchange
 Differences between composition of hepatic vein and hepatic portal vein
Hepatic portal vein Hepatic vein
Contain more glucose Contain less glucose
Contain more amino Contain less amino acid
Less waste metabolic product More waste metabolic product

Note that
(i) A contain more glucose and amino acids because it carries blood containing absorbed
food material from intestines

(ii) Blood vessel B contains less glucose and amino acids because excess amino acid are
deaminated while excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored.
(iii) Blood vessel B contains more waste products because deamination produces ammonia
that is converted to urea.

Circulation in the heart

Blood returning via the venae cava enters the right atrium. The resulting pressure in this
chamber forces open the flaps of the tricuspid valve. The result is that blood flows through
the atrioventricular opening into the right ventricle.

When the atrium and ventricle are full of blood the atrium suddenly contracts, propelling the
remaining blood into the ventricle. The contraction spreads from the right atrium over the
rest of the heart. A trial systole is relatively weak but the ventricles, whose thick walls are
particularly well endowed with muscles, contract more powerfully. As a result, blood is
forced from the right the ventricle into the pulmonary artery.

The blood is prevented from flowing back into the atrium by the flaps of the atrio-ventricular
opening. The atrio-ventricular valve is prevented from turning inside out by tough strands of
connective tissue, the tendinous cord or “heart strings” which run from the underside of each
flag to the wall of the ventricle

Once in the pulmonary artery, blood is prevented from flowing back into the ventricle by
pocket like semilunar valves guarding the opening of pulmonary artery.

From the lungs oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary veins. It is
then conveyed to the left ventricle and so into the systemic arch which leads to the aorta.
The flow of blood takes place in the atrioventricular valve consists of two flaps rather than
three, for which reason. It is called the bicuspid valve. It is also known as the mitral valve
because its two flaps are rather like a bishop’s miter.

Although systole starts at the right atrium, it quickly spreads to the left so that the whole
heart appears to contract synchronously. The de-oxygenated blood is pumped from the right
ventricle into the pulmonary artery at the same time as oxygenated blood is pumped from the
left ventricle in the aortic arch.

Systole is followed by diastole during which the heart refills with blood again. The entire
sequence of events is known as the cardiac cycle.

Exercise
1. Which one of the following is correct about the circulation of blood to and from the
mammalian heart?
A. Oxygenated blood from lungs enters through pulmonary artery.
B. Deoxygenated blood from heart enters lungs through the pulmonary artery.
C. Oxygenated blood from heart goes to rest of the body through the vena cava.
D. Deoxygenated blood from body enters heart through pulmonary vessel.
2. Which of the following organs is supplied and drained by a vein?
A. Stomach
B. Liver
C. Kidney
D. Pancreas
3. Which one of the following is the route a red blood cell takes from the liver to the
lung?
A. Hepatic portal vein, vena cava, pulmonary artery
B. Hepatic vein, pulmonary vein, pulmonary artery
C. Hepatic artery, pulmonary artery
D. Hepatic vein, vena caca, pulmonary artery
4. Which one of the following organ is supplied and drained by a vein?
A. Stomach
B. Liver,
C. kidney
D. Pancreas
5. In mammalian heart, the thick walls of left ventricle are vital for
A. Resisting pressure of blood coming into the ventricle
B. Maintaining the shape of the heart
 C. Producing enough pressure to pump blood to all parts of the body
D. Resisting back flow of blood from the body
6. Which of the following blood vessel contains blood with the highest amount of
oxygen?
A. Vena cava
B. Hepatic vein
C. Pulmonary vein
D. Hepatic portal vein
7. Which one of the following is not a function of blood?
A. Regulation of sugar level in blood
B. Healing of damaged part of the body
C. Regulation of body temperature
D. Transportation of wastes
8. Which one of the following contains the lowest concentration of urea?
A. Hepatic portal vein
B. Renal artery
C. Hepatic vein
D. Renal vein

9. Which one of the following is the correct reason for the thickness of the walls of atria
and ventricle?
A. Atria are thicker because they have to generate higher pressure
B. Atria are thicker because they have to resist higher pressure
C. Ventricles are thicker because they have to generate higher pressure
D. Ventricles are thicker because they have to resist higher pressure.
10. Blood in pulmonary artery is at lower pressure than aorta because in pulmonary
circulation
A. Blood travels a shorter distance
B. The right ventricle has thinner walls
C. The vessel carrying blood is smaller
D. Fewer organs are supplied.
11. Which of the following blood vessel transports blood rich in nutrients?
A. Pulmonary artery
B. Hepatic portal vein
C. Mesenteric artery
D. Renal vein
12. In human heart, the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is prevented by
the
A. Septum
B. Bicuspid valve
C. Tricuspid valve
D. Semilunar valve
Structured questions

13. The figure below is a diagram showing part of mammalian circulation system

(a) Name the blood vessels labeled A, B, C and D.(02 marks)

(b) Using arrows, show on the diagram the direction of blood flow in blood vessels
labeled A and B. (01mark)
(c) State three differences in composition of blood flowing in A and B. (03marks)
(d) Explain the changes in composition of glucose in A and B (02mark)
(e) How is blood vessel A structurally adapted to perform its function?(02marks)

14. The table below shows the composition of blood od three adult individuals. One
lives at high altitude, another is anaemic and the other has an infection. It also shows
the average number of each blood component in an adult human. Study the
information in the table and answer the questions that fallow.
Components of blood Person A Person B Person C Average number
in adult human
3
Red blood cells per mm 7,500,000 5,000,000 2,000,000 5,000,000
White blood cells per 6,000 8,000 12,000 5,000 – 10,000
mm3
Blood platelets cells per 250,000 255,000 100,000 250,000
mm3
(a) Giving a reason, suggest the person
(i) Who lives at high altitude (03marks)
(ii) Who is anemic (03marks)
(iii) Who has infection (03marks)
(b) Suggest a likely effect of observed number of blood platelets in person C
(02marks)
15. (a) list the substances transported by the blood circulatory system (04marks)
(c) Give the importance of transporting each of the substances named in (a) above.
(11marks)
16. (a) What is an artery? (1mark)
(b) State three differences between artery and vein. (3marks)
(c) State how arteries and veins are suited for their function
(i) artery (03marks)
(ii) veins (03marks)
Suggested answers
1 B 3 D 5 C 7 A 9 C 11 B
2 B 4 B 6 C 8 D 10 A 12 A

13 (a) Hepatic portal vein

Hepatic vein
Hepatic artery
Mesenteric artery
(b)

Differences between composition of A and B

A B
Contain more glucose Contain less glucose
Contain more amino Contain less amino acid
Less waste metabolic product More waste metabolic product

(d) (i) A contain more glucose and amino acids because it carries blood containing
absorbed food material from intestines

(ii) Blood vessel B contains less glucose and amino acids because excess amino acid
are deaminated while excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored.
(iii) Blood vessel B contains more waste products because deamination produces
ammonia that is converted to urea.
(e) Adaptation of blood vessel B
- Has broad lumen to allow blood flow at low pressure
- Has thin wall to reduce resistance to blood flow

14. (a) (i) Person A lives at high altitude because has a big number red blood cells to
enable him to obtain oxygen at low partial pressure.
(ii) Person C is anemic because he has low red blood cells
(iii) person C has an infection because he has a big number of white blood cell
(b) Low platelets is cause by
- Medication like antibiotic
- Anemia
- Diseases like leukemia
- Heavy alcohol drinking
- Exposure to poisonous substances
 15. (a) Substances transported in blood
- Water
- Red blood cell
- White blood cell
- Nutrients
- Waste metabolic products
- hormones

(b) Importance of transporting substance s in the body

(i) water distributes mineral salts
(ii) red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the body
(iii) white blood cells fight germs
(iv) nutrients are distributed to the body cell
(v) waste metabolic products are carried to excretory organs
(vi) hormones are carried for their source to the target organs
(vii) fibrinogen is carried to damaged places where clotting is required

16. (a) artery is a blood vessel that carry blood from the heart
(b) Differences between arteries and veins
Arteries veins
1 Thick wall Thin walls
2. Narrow lumen Broad lume
3. Have no valves except pulmonary Have valves
artery and aorta
4. Carry oxygenated blood except Carry deoxygenated blood except
pulmonary artery
5. Pulse detectable Pulse not detectable
6. Empty at time of death Get filled up at death.

(c) (i) Adaptation of the artery

-thick wall to accommodate high pressure
- have a narrow lumens to maintain high pressures
- some arteries like aorta valves to prevent back flow of blood.

(ii) Adaptation of veins

-wide lumen to lower resistance to blood flow
-valves allow blood tom flow in one direction