Land animals breathe through lung respiration. The process of exchanging gases, oxygen to carbon dioxide, is known as the respiration process.
Like us, land animals carry out this gas exchange continuously. In more complex animals these gases must be processed through a respiratory system.
There are 4 types of gas exchanges:
-The intergumentary, which occurs through the skin.
-The gas exchange carried out by gills, which occurs in aquatic animals.
-Breathing through tracheas, used by insects.
-Lung respiration, performed by land animals.
What is respiration like in land animals?
The process of respiration in land animals and humans is essentially the same, since we both have lungs.
To explain the breathing process, we must first talk about the organs that help this to happen: the lungs.
Lungs
The lungs are a pair of organs. Each lung is in a cavity in our chest: one on the left side and one on the right side. The trachea is the tube that connects the mouth and nose to the lungs.
Inside the lungs the trachea divides into bronchi, these in turn divide into smaller connections known as bronchioles.
Inside the lungs is a muscle called the diaphragm. The ribs are involved in this process. The ribs are shields that protect the lungs in the breathing process.
When we breathe, the diaphragm expands allowing the lungs to fill with air, hence the ribs also expand.
Process
When we breathe we inhale air. This air is known as oxygen. Oxygen enters through the nostrils and passes into the nasal cavity. During this process we also inhale particles that can be harmful to our body.
The hair and mucosa inside the nasal cavity are responsible for trapping the particles that should not enter our body.
As the lungs fill, the air passes through the bronchi and reaches small sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are found within the bronchioles.
Here it occurs in exchange of oxygen to carbon dioxide. When we exhale, the diaphragm contracts, the ribs contract as well, and the lungs return to their original size.
This movement increases the pressure in the lungs that forces the remaining air out.
Exhaled air is carbon dioxide, a product of respiration. This gas is released through various human and animal activities.
References
- Understanding How Animals Breathe. Recovered from: www.dummies.com
- Terrestrial animal. Recovered from: www.biology-online.org
- What is a list of terrestrial animals. Recovered from: www.reference.com
- HOFFMAN, M. (s / f). Picture of the Lungs. Recovered from: www.webmd.com
- Lungs. Recovered from: www.innerbody.com