Question

Why is there a difference in the rate of breathing between aquatic organisms and terrestrial organisms? Explain.

Answer 1

Difference between breathing rates of aquatic and terrestrial organisms:

1. The organism which survives in water is called Aquatic organisms.
2. Animals that live on land are called terrestrial organisms.
3. Aquatic organisms like fish get their oxygen from water that is present in the dissolved state.
4. Aquatic animals breathe faster compared to terrestrial organisms.
5. This is because there is less dissolved oxygen in water than there is in the air.
6. Aquatic animals can only breathe dissolved oxygen because there is far less of it in water than there is in air.
7. As a result, they must breathe more quickly than terrestrial animals in order to meet the body's needs for the necessary levels of oxygen for appropriate cell function.
8. The blood would quickly absorb oxygen from the water until the blood and water's oxygen levels quickly become similar, at which point oxygen diffusion into the blood would cease.
9. Only half of the total oxygen content of the water could be consumed by the blood at its maximal rate.