Centura

Foods Ltd

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

Representation of molecules in a gas

(a)

(b)

As a result of their random movements the

molecules become evenly distributed

Next slide

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

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

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

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

Diffusion of oxygen into a cell

The concentration of
oxygen molecules is
greater outside the cell
than inside

So the oxygen molecules

diffuse into the cell

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 cells needs

oxygen

carbon dioxide

maximum
distance
is 0.1 mm

14

Single-celled organisms are rarely more than

1mm in diameter
Bacteria range from 1 - 10 microns (1-10 )
( 1 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

Earthworm

16

diffusion takes place through

the thin skin of the worm

O2 diffuses in
Section through
worms skin
0.04mm
the blood vessels
absorb the O2 and
carry it to the body

CO2 diffuses
out

Question
Did you notice anything in particular about
the
earthworms skin as seen in the section ?
Have another look.

How might this affect diffusion ?

17

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

Human lungs

19

windpipe

lung

diaphragm
position of lungs
in thorax

heart
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

diffusion of
carbon dioxide

0.03 mm

air breathed
in and out
O2

CO2

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 cover cut away

gill filaments

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

Plants

25

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
is short

O2 and CO2 diffuse

into the spaces between cells

Question 1
Diffusion can normally take place in
(a) a liquid
(b) a solution
(c) a solid
(d) a gas

27

Question 2
A fish breathes
(a) water
(b) oxygen dissolved in water
(c) oxygen in the air
(d) carbon dioxide dissolved in water

28

Question 3
Diffusion takes place as a result of
(a) convection currents
(b) air movements
(c) natural movement of molecules
(d) changes in temperature

29

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

Question 6
Which of these would you expect to diffuse
freely through a cell membrane ?
(a) carbon dioxide
(b) water
(c) proteins
(d) oxygen

32

33

Question 7
Through which of these layers would you expect
diffusion to be most rapid ?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Question 8

34

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 earthworms 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 earthworms needs.
The single cell layer is an epidermis rather than
a skin.

single cell