How Do Animals Breathe?
animalfunfacts.net explains the four breathing methods of animals of animals.
The Four Respiratory Systems:
- Lung breathing: Mammals, birds, reptiles and some amphibians
- Gill breathing: Fish and crabs
- Tracheal breathing: nsects, centipedes and spiders
- Skin respiration: Amphibians, z. B. frogs
All breathing methods help to transport oxygen INTO the cells and the remaining carbon dioxide OUT of the cells.
Why Do Animals Have To Breathe?
Breathing supplies organs and muscles with oxygen, which every animal needs to survive.
How Does Breathing Work?
Breathing in and out is controlled by muscles (except skin respiration). During pulmonary breathing they widen the rib cage for instance. When breathing out, the muscles relax and contract the rib cage again.
What Happens When Animals Breathe?
When breathing in, the air is pumped into the organs of the respiratory system (e.g. lungs). Delicate blood vessels extract the oxygen from the air. The blood helps to transport the oxygen to the cells and tissue (exception: tracheal breathing) to be “processed” there. All there is left then is some carbon dioxide, which is transported out of the tissue and cells when breathing out.
What Are the Differences?
The respiratory systems and the airways through the body differ:
| Organ | Oxygen Transport |
|---|---|
| Lung | via the blood |
| Gills | via the blood |
| Trachea | via the trachea |
| Skin | via the blood |
Animals, That Transform Their Breathing Organs
Take the tadpole as an example: "Gills Today, Lungs Tomorrow". Some animals undergo a bodily transformation (metamorphosis) when growing up. Even their respiratory systems might change completely. For instance, the tadpole has gills to be able to breathe under water. The gills regress during the metamorphosis, and the adult frog uses its skin and lungs to breath. Learn more about the metamorphosis of the tadpole into a frog under: frogs and toads.
How Respiratory Systems Developed
Skin respiration is the most primitive method and can only supply small animals with oxygen. The next steps were the development of tracheal breathing and, after this, gill breathing. Pulmonary breathing is the most sophisticated method.
- Here you find detailed articles about the different types of breathing:
- Lung Breathing
- Gill Breathing
- Tracheal System
- Skin Breathing
- How Do Animals Breathe Under Water?
- Records: Holding Breath under Water
