Respiratory Systems Among Various Animal Groups
|
Taxon |
Medium |
Type |
Absorption surface |
|
Humans |
Air |
Pump lung |
Complex alveoli |
|
Birds |
Air |
Pump lung with added air sac |
Simple alveoli in lung, and internal surface of air sacs |
|
Lizards |
Air |
Pump lung |
Simple alveoli |
|
Crocodiles |
Air |
Pump lung |
Simple alveoli |
|
Saurischian dinosaurs |
Air |
Pump lung with added air sac |
? |
|
Fish |
Water |
Counter current gills |
Gill surface |
|
Bivalve mollusks |
Water |
Medium pressure |
Pump gills |
|
Chambered cephalopods |
Water |
Complex gills, high pressure pump gills |
Gill surface |
|
Brachiopods |
Water |
Low pressure pump gills |
Lophophore surface, punctae (terebratulids) |
|
Scleractinian corals |
Water |
No gill epithelial adsorption |
Epithelium, internal mesentaries |
|
Echinoids |
Water |
External gill, adsorption, tube feet |
Gill surface |
|
Bryozoans |
Water |
Lophophore |
Epithelial absorption |
|
Sponges |
Water |
No gills, medium pressure pump |
Choanocyte cell surface |
|
Tunicates |
Water |
Internal gill, medium pressure pump |
Internal gill surface |
|
Surface area/volume of resp. organ |
Blood flow across resp. organ |
Source of pump |
Chambers in heart |
Blood pigment |
|
High |
High |
Diaphragm breathing |
Four |
Hemoglobin |
|
High |
High |
Ribcage, pelvic |
Four |
Hemoglobin |
|
Low |
Low |
Diaphragm |
Three |
Hemoglobin |
|
Low |
Low |
Pelvic pump |
Three |
Hemoglobin |
|
? |
? |
Ribcage, pelvic |
Four |
? |
|
|
Low |
Rib ventilation |
Two |
|
|
|
Low |
Cilia in siphon |
One |
None |
|
|
High |
Adductor muscle contraction |
One |
Hemocyanin |
|
|
Low |
Cilia |
None |
None |
|
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
|
|
Low |
Water vascular system |
|
|
|
|
Low |
Cilia |
None |
None |
|
|
None |
Cilia |
Flagellar beating |
None |
|
|
Low |
Cilia |
|
|