TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN ANIMALS

Transport system is the movement of metabolic materials from various

parts of an organism where they are produced and transported to other
parts where such are used, stored or removed from the body. Organisms
need to be able to move materials such as respiratory gases, nutrients,
waste products and heat both into and out of, and within its body.
Need For Transport System
All living organisms (plants and animals) need transport system for the
following reasons
• To obtain essential materials such as oxygen, water and nutrients.
• To remove metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide, urea, water, etc.
• For moving water and mineral salts from the soil through the roots to
the various parts of plant.
• For transfer of hormones from production site to site of action.
• For transfer of glucose to various parts of plants.
RELATING TRANSPORT IN LOWER ORGANISMS TO THAT IN HIGHER ORGANISM
Transport in Lower Organisms Transport in Higher Organisms
1 Substances are moved over small Substances are moved over greater distance
distance
2 Transport is by simple diffusion Transport involves diffusion and other means.
3 Diffusion is enough because the Effusion transport system is necessary because
surface area to volume ratio (A/V) surface area to volume ratio (A/V) is too small
is great
4 Cells are isolated Isolated group of cells need to be connected
5 Transport materials are small in Transport materials are large in quantity.
quantity.

Materials Transported Source Destination

1 Oxygen Lungs All living cells of the body
2 Carbon dioxide Body cells Lungs
3 Urea Body cells Liver
4 Excess salts Body cells Skin and kidney
5 Water Body cell Skin, lungs, liver, kidney etc.
6 Amino acid Small intestine Body cells
 7 Vitamins Small intestine Body cells
8 Sugar Body cells Body cells
9 Fatty acid and glycerol Small intestine Body cells
10 Mineral salt Small intestine Body cells
11 Hormones Endocrine Target organs of tissue
glands
12 Antibodies White blood All body parts
cells
TRANSPORT MEDIA
The four major media of transportation in organisms are:
 Cytoplasm: Used in lower unicellular organisms such as amoeba, chlamydomonas,
euglena, etc.
 Cell sap/ Latex: A concentrated solution in the cell vacuole of plants.
 Blood: Used in most animals, especially vertebrates for conveyance of essential
materials like oxygen, digested food, etc.
 Lymph: Found in higher animals. It is a fluid similar in composition to tissue fluid,
although it contains extra lymphocytes, there is no red cell present. It returns fluid
to the main veins through opening in the subclavian (left jugular) vein below the
neck. Example of lymph vessel is the lateal which transports fatty acids and
glycerol. The lymph movement is enhanced by muscular action. Unlike the
circulatory system, the lymphatic system ends blindly.

Mechanisms of Transportation Unicellular Organisms

Materials are transported through the continuous streaming movements. The streaming could be along the direction of
movement of the organism, back to front (e.g. Amoeba) or in circular motion (e.g. Paramecium)

Mechanisms of Transportation in Multicellular Organism

1. Hydra: The movement of the gut wall draws water into the gut and causes digested food and oxygen within it to
circulate. Thus the cell lining the gut absorbs the materials. The whopping movement of the flagella of flagellated cells also
helps in material circulation in the gut.
2. Flatworms: The large body surface area to volume ratio and extensive branching gut throughout the body makes the
food and oxygen to diffuse into all the body cells. Movement of the body wall assists to transport waste products out of
the body.
3. Insects and mollusks: Both have open circulatory system i.e. the heart pumps blood out into a blood vessel with
branches open into spaces in the body cavity known as Haemocoels. Blood from these spaces eventually flows into the
vessels leading into the heart. Blood flows in unidirectional and blood distribution is poorly controlled.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN HUMAN

The media of transportation in man include the blood and lymph.
COMPOSTION AND STRUCTURE OF BLOOD
The blood is a tissue in a fluid form. It is about 5-6 liters in the body. Blood is made of two major components. The blood

cells (corpuscles); which are solid. The plasma which; is liquid. There are three types:

 Red blood cells (erythrocyte)

 White blood cells (leucocytes)
 Blood platelets (thrombocytes)

Blood Cells Description Function

Red blood cells 1. Small, round and disc-like in shape Helps to transport oxygen from
(RBC) 2. Has no nucleus. lungs to the body cells through
3. One cubic liter of blood has about its pigment (haemoglobin).
5.5million of red blood cells. Haemoglobin combines readily
4. Has a life span about 120 days with oxygen to form
oxyhaemoglobin in the lungs
White blood 1. Irregular (i.e. amoeboid in shaped) Help to defend the body
cell (WBC) 2. Relatively large and colourless (larger than against diseases by engulfing
RBC but fewer) and intruding pathogens
3. Contain nucleus- about 5,000-10,000 per (bacteria and virus) or by
pin head of blood (cubic milliliter of blood) secreting antibodies.
1.Tiny, Irregular all fragments Aids in blood clotting
2.Have no nucleus
Blood platelets 3.Fewer in number and smaller in size than RBC.
4. About 250,000 – 400,000 per cubic ml of blood.
5. Produced in red bone marrow.
TYPES OF WHITE BLOOD CELLS
The two major type of white blood cells are:
1. Phagocytes- found in lymphatic system which ingest bacteria, viruses and dead cells to prevent diseases in a
process called phagocytosis.
2. Lymphocytes- made in lymph glands and they produce antibodies i.e. chemicals which stick to the surface of
germs to kill them.
Blood cell Description Function

Blood plasma 1. Liquid component of blood Transport the dissolved substances

and the blood cells.
(transport 2. A pale yellow liquid made up mainly of water
liquid) (about 90% water) together with other
dissolved substances like plasma proteins
antibodies, hormones, enzymes, gases,
digested food, salts and other waste products
 Lymph 1. A colourless liquid in lymphatic system  Body defense by producing white
that has similar composition to the tissue blood cells. Disease causing micro
fluid but contains extra lymphocytes. organisms found in the lymph are
pushed out in the lymph node and
2. Has no red cell
engulfed by phagocytes.
 Absorption of fatty acid and
glycerol

1. TRANSPORT OF MATERIAL:
 Oxygen is transported through hemoglobin.
 Transportation of digested food (glucose, amino acid, fatty acids and glycerol) from the villi to all body
cells and tissues for use or storage.
 Transportation of excretory products (C02, water, urea) from site of production to excretory organs like
skin, lungs, liver and kidney for removal
 Transfer of hormones from production site to target organs.
 Transportation of water (90% of the blood content) to various cells for metabolic activities.
2. PROTECTION OF THE BODY:
 Defense against infection through the action of WBC
 Blood clotting initiated by the platelets when injury is sustained prevent excessive loss of blood.
 Production of anti bodies by the WBC for destroying pathogens and their harmful product.
3. REGULATION:
 Temperature regulation by evenly distributing heat produced in the liver and the muscles throughout the
body.
 It also regulates the quantity of water in the tissue.
PROCESS OF BLOOD CLOTHING
• When skin is broken, bleeding makes blood platelets to disintegrates and secretes an enzyme called
thrombokinase
• Thrombokinase reacts with prothrombin and calcium ions to form thrombin.
• The thrombin converts fibrinogen in blood plasma into soluble networks of fibrin
• Network of fibrin entangles the blood corpuscle to form blood clot
• The blood clot blocks the passage of blood and stop bleeding.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
TYPES OF CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
The circulatory system in animals can be:
Closed Circulatory System: In this type of circulation, blood is limited to the vessels (i.e. artries veins and
carpilaries) and the heart. It does not have direct contact with the body cells this system is observed in annelids
and vertebrates..
Opened Circulatory System: The blood vessels lead out of the heart but end in blood spaces called haemocoels
within the body cavity. The blood has direct contact with the cells after which it is returned to the heart.
Arthropods and some mollusks.
Single Circulatory System: The blood passes through the heart once in a complete movement round the body
e.g. fishes because of their two chambered heart have single circulatory system.
Double Circulatory System: The blood passes twice in the heart every time it makes one complete movement
round the body. Each time it passes through a separate path way e.g. mammals. Double circulation gives rise to
pulmonary and systematic circulation.

BLOOD VESSELS
There are three main blood vessels in animals carrying blood round the body. They are:
1. Arterie
2. Veins
3. Capillaries