NCERT Solution for Class 10 Science Chapter 6
Life Processes
NCERT Books for Session 2022-2023
CBSE Board and UP Board
Intext Questions
Page No-110
Questions No-2
Why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in mammals and birds?
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Warm-blooded animals such as birds and mammals maintain a constant body temperature by cooling themselves when they are in a hotter environment and by warming their bodies when they are in a cooler environment. Hence, these animals require more oxygen (O2) for more cellular respiration so that they can produce more energy to maintain their body temperature.
Thus, it is necessary for them to separate oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood, so that their circulatory system is more efficient and can maintain their constant body temperature.
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Mammals and birds are warm blooded animals. This means they can control their body temperature and don’t have to depend on environment for their body temperature regulation. Because of this birds and mammals require optimum oxidization of glucose which would be possible with good supply of oxygen. By developing four chambered heart they have made it possible to completely segregate the oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in their bodies which is their need because of their habit and habitat.
The separation of the right side and left side of the heart is useful so as to prevent oxygenated and deoxygenated blood from mixing. Such separation allows a highly efficient supply of oxygen to the body. This is useful in animals that have high energy needs,such as birds and mammals, which constantly use the energy to maintain their body temperature.
The separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in mammals and birds is essential for maintaining an efficient and highly oxygenated circulatory system. This separation is achieved through a four-chambered heart with two atria and two ventricles, a feature unique to mammals (including humans) and birds. The primary reasons for this separation include:
1. Efficient Oxygenation:
» Separating oxygenated and deoxygenated blood prevents the mixing of these two types of blood, ensuring that blood with a high oxygen content is efficiently delivered to the body’s tissues.
» In a four-chambered heart, the left side receives and pumps only oxygenated blood to the body, while the right side receives and pumps only deoxygenated blood to the lungs. This segregation enhances the efficiency of oxygen transport.
2. High Metabolic Demands:
» Mammals and birds have relatively high metabolic rates compared to other animals. This increased metabolic demand requires a more efficient delivery of oxygen to meet the energy needs of their active lifestyles.
» Separating oxygenated and deoxygenated blood allows for a more rapid and targeted delivery of oxygen to the tissues, supporting the metabolic demands of warm-blooded animals.
3. Maintaining Oxygen Gradient:
» The separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood helps maintain a steep oxygen concentration gradient between the lungs (where oxygen is acquired) and the tissues (where oxygen is utilized).
» This gradient promotes the rapid diffusion of oxygen from the lungs into the bloodstream and, subsequently, from the bloodstream into the body’s cells.
4. Optimizing Circulatory Efficiency:
» The four-chambered heart enables a double circulation system, where blood flows through two distinct circuits: the pulmonary circuit (to the lungs) and the systemic circuit (to the rest of the body).
» This double circulation allows for a more efficient and controlled distribution of oxygenated blood to the body and deoxygenated blood to the lungs, optimizing the overall circulatory efficiency.
5. Preventing Mixing in High-Pressure Systems:
» Mammals and birds have relatively high blood pressure, and preventing the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the circulatory system.
» Mixing of blood with different oxygen concentrations could reduce the efficiency of oxygen transport and compromise the physiological functions of the circulatory system.
In summary, the separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in mammals and birds is a critical adaptation that enhances the efficiency of oxygen transport, supports high metabolic rates, and ensures the precise delivery of oxygen to tissues in response to the animal’s physiological demands. This separation is a key feature of the circulatory systems in warm-blooded vertebrates.