Respiration
What is respiration?
Respiration is "the process by which organisms exchange gases, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide, with the environment. In air-breathing vertebrates, respiration takes place in the lungs."[1] The black widow spider is an air-breathing organism so it must perform cellular respiration.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are chemical elements. Oxygen is used for energy to perform basic activities. For example, oxygen is used to complete cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is "the process that releases energy by breaking down food molecules in the presence of oxygen."[2] This basically means turning food into energy that will be useful to the body. Cellular respiration is performed to create ATP. ATP is an energy source that has three bonded phosphate groups. " ATP can be used to drive chemical reactions, transport substances across membranes, and do mechanical work."[3]When a bond is broken between the three phospate groups, energy is released.Basically, ATP gives organisms, like the black widow spider, energy. Cellular respiration is one of the many ways carbon dioxide and oxygen are incorporated into the black widow spider's body.
[1] http://science.yourdictionary.com/respiration
[2] Prentice Hall Biology Textbook
[3]http://www.shmoop.com/cell-respiration/
Respiration is "the process by which organisms exchange gases, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide, with the environment. In air-breathing vertebrates, respiration takes place in the lungs."[1] The black widow spider is an air-breathing organism so it must perform cellular respiration.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are chemical elements. Oxygen is used for energy to perform basic activities. For example, oxygen is used to complete cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is "the process that releases energy by breaking down food molecules in the presence of oxygen."[2] This basically means turning food into energy that will be useful to the body. Cellular respiration is performed to create ATP. ATP is an energy source that has three bonded phosphate groups. " ATP can be used to drive chemical reactions, transport substances across membranes, and do mechanical work."[3]When a bond is broken between the three phospate groups, energy is released.Basically, ATP gives organisms, like the black widow spider, energy. Cellular respiration is one of the many ways carbon dioxide and oxygen are incorporated into the black widow spider's body.
[1] http://science.yourdictionary.com/respiration
[2] Prentice Hall Biology Textbook
[3]http://www.shmoop.com/cell-respiration/
How does the black widow spider breathe?
Black widow spiders receive oxygen from four respiratory organs on the bottom of their abdomens. These organs are are arranged in an anterior pair and a posterior pair. The anterior pair is in the front of the abdomen while
the posterior pair is behind the anterior pair. These organs can be in the form of book lungs, which resemble pages in a book, or tracheae.[1] Book lungs contain stacks of soft plates called lamellae. Oxygen in the air passes through the lamellae and diffuses in though the tissue in the hemplymph. Tracheae are breathing tubes that are held up by chitin rings.[2] When the spider uses book lungs,hemolymph flows through the organs and oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged through the air circulating in the hemolymph. Spider's bodies are filled with hemolymph, which is a blood compound, instead of blood. "Oxygen and carbon dioxide are carried in the spider hemolymph by the respiratory pigment protein, hemocyanin."The hemolymph is circulated through arteries because black widow spiders do not have veins. Then through the sinuses, which are spaces, in the internal organs. Black widow spiders have slower metabolisms then humans, so they do not need as much oxygen.[3]
[1]http://www.spiderzrule.com/spider9.htm
[2]http://www.explorit.org/science/spider.html
[3]http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4567439_spiders-breathe.html
the posterior pair is behind the anterior pair. These organs can be in the form of book lungs, which resemble pages in a book, or tracheae.[1] Book lungs contain stacks of soft plates called lamellae. Oxygen in the air passes through the lamellae and diffuses in though the tissue in the hemplymph. Tracheae are breathing tubes that are held up by chitin rings.[2] When the spider uses book lungs,hemolymph flows through the organs and oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged through the air circulating in the hemolymph. Spider's bodies are filled with hemolymph, which is a blood compound, instead of blood. "Oxygen and carbon dioxide are carried in the spider hemolymph by the respiratory pigment protein, hemocyanin."The hemolymph is circulated through arteries because black widow spiders do not have veins. Then through the sinuses, which are spaces, in the internal organs. Black widow spiders have slower metabolisms then humans, so they do not need as much oxygen.[3]
[1]http://www.spiderzrule.com/spider9.htm
[2]http://www.explorit.org/science/spider.html
[3]http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4567439_spiders-breathe.html