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Page Facing Up

Theme B - Form & Function

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Direct Hit

Theme A - Unity & Diversity

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Pill

Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence

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Keycap Digit One

Theme D - Continuity & Change

<ul>
	<li>What is it? All living things, whether they&#39;re big like a redwood or small like you and me, exchange gases with the environment.</li>
	<li>Cool Fact: Redwood trees take in CO₂ (carbon dioxide) to do photosynthesis and give back O₂ (oxygen) to the environment. Humans, on the other hand, breathe in oxygen for cellular respiration and puff out carbon dioxide.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Land Dwellers (Terrestrial organisms): Breathe in and out of the air.</li>
	<li>Water Lovers (Aquatic animals): Exchange gases with water. Imagine fish gossiping with water molecules!</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>What&#39;s diffusion? It&#39;s how molecules move around randomly. Think of a bottle of perfume being opened in a room, eventually, you can smell it everywhere!</li>
	<li>Downside: Diffusion&#39;s a bit on the slow side.</li>
	<li>But hey! It works fast enough when there&#39;s a vast surface area for gases to spread out and the distance for them to travel isn&#39;t too long.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Small Guys (Unicellular organisms): They&#39;ve got a high surface area compared to their volume. Being tiny means the gas doesn&#39;t have to travel far from the outside to the center of the organism. So, these little ones use their entire outer surface to exchange gases.</li>
	<li>Big Guys: In more giant creatures (yes, that includes humans!), the outer surface isn&#39;t enough for effective gas exchange because of the larger distance from the center to the exterior.
	<ul>
		<li>Solution: Special structures to the rescue! For example:
		<ul>
			<li>Humans: Our lungs have tiny balloon-like structures called alveoli that increase surface area for gas exchange.</li>
			<li>Plants: The spongy mesophyll inside leaves acts like our alveoli, providing a large area for CO₂ and O₂ to dance around.</li>
		</ul>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Baking Soda and Vinegar: Ever mixed them? The fizz is CO₂ being released! That&#39;s a gas exchange reaction right there.</li>
	<li>Gills in Fish: Fish have gills that are super efficient in taking in O₂ from water. It&#39;s like their version of our lungs but tailor-made for their watery homes.</li>
</ul>

Moral of the story: No matter the size or where they live, all organisms have found their unique ways to breathe in life. Remember, next time you take a breath, there&#39;s a lot of science happening inside! 🌬🍃🐟

Theme B - Form & Function

Explore Vital Gas Exchange in Organisms!

Table of content

Gas exchange 101 🎈

Where do organisms exchange gases? 🌎

Diffusion - the secret behind gas exchange 💡

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme B - Form & Function

Explore Vital Gas Exchange in Organisms!

Table of content

Gas exchange 101 🎈

Where do organisms exchange gases? 🌎

Diffusion - the secret behind gas exchange 💡

Unlock the Full Content!