The Respiratory System (IB Topic B3.1)
Essential Idea(s): Adaptations in multicellular organisms efficiently perform gas exchange. Structural adaptations of mammalian lungs make this system efficient and effective.
Unit Length: 3 Lessons (+2 AHL)
Guiding Questions
◊ How are multicellular organisms adapted to carry out gas exchange?
◊ What are the similarities and differences in gas exchange between a flowering plant and a mammal?
| IB Statement(s) and Objective(s) |
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B3.1.1: Gas exchange as a vital function in all organisms
B3.1.2: Properties of gas-exchange surfaces
B3.1.3: Maintenance of concentration gradients at exchange surfaces in animals
B3.1.4: Adaptations of mammalian lungs for gas exchange
B3.1.5: Ventilation of the lungs
B3.1.6: Measurement of lung volumes
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Additional Higher Level Topics
B3.1.11: Adaptations of foetal and adult haemoglobin for the transport of oxygen
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| Activities: ⓟ = podcast / ⍰ = inquiry 5 / ⓦ = Write it / Ӕ = The academy / Ⓡ = Read it |
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Lung labs – Choose 1 of the following 3 lab options: ⓟ/ⓦ: Engineer a Lung (💁/ 👭 max 2) Grab a few basic supplies (clay is the only item on here that isn’t in most AHs…see me for some) and create a functional model of lungs. This is a very open-ended task that requires some trial + error to pull off – try to do it without any help from Google! See me if you hit a dead end.
ⓟ/ⓦ: Lung Capacity Lab (using a spirometer) (💁/ 👭 max 2) Can your lungs tell us how fit you are? This lab will help you determine if you’re above – or below – where you should be. Grab one of the school’s spirometers and use it to calculate the tidal volume, vital capacity, and residual volume of your lungs. Then compare your results to the expected results for your gender + fitness level.
ⓟ/ⓦ: Observing Breathing and Heart Rates (💁/ 👭 max 2) How does exercise affect your breathing rate and heart rate? With a partner, measure both your pulse and your breathing rate, then push yourself with some moderate exercise (a quick walk and a quick jog) to see how that affects your body.
Ӕ: 3D Tour of the trachea Use this 3D model to screencast a tour of the trachea, larynx, and bronchi — explaining the key features that allow breathing to take place. Make sure you give an overview of the mechanism that allows air to flow into the lungs.
ⓦ: “Inquiry 5″: Q&A on Respiratory Anatomy (💁/ 👭max 2) Create a list of 5 inquiry questions related to the anatomy and physiology of the trachea and lungs. Remember that good inquiry questions are conceptual / open-ended…such as: “What would happen if a person’s lungs could no longer produce surfactant?; NOT: “What do alveoli look like?” If working solo, write out answers to your own questions; if working in pairs, record yourselves asking each other your 5 questions. *Try to write questions that cover as many topics from 6.4 as possible!
ⓡ: From Genes to Latrines: The Curious Connection Between Vikings and Emphysema (💁) Scientific curiosity leads to some interesting places – archeological excavations of Viking latrine pits in Denmark have revealed that these populations suffered massive worm infestations. Adaptations that protected the Vikings from these worms had a negative effect – they made their lungs more susceptible to emphysema, a harsh lung disease. Read up about this strange history, and how evolution might have kept Vikings a little bit safer from worms, but also a bit more susceptible to lung disorders. Respond by answering: 1) What is emphysema, and what causes it?; 2) Why are Nordic genes more susceptible to lung disorders; and 3) Discuss how the randomness of evolution can sometimes provide both problems and solutions into one package. |