How are the lungs specialised for exchanging gases?

The lungs are made up of many air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli have many folds which create a large surface area.  The larger the surface area, the greater the area of alveolar cell membrane available for gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse across. Therefore the lungs will be able to exchange greater quantities of gases, in the same amount of time, than organs with a lower surface area and therefore will be better at exchanging gases. 

LA
Answered by Laura A. Biology tutor

3056 Views

See similar Biology GCSE tutors

Related Biology GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Describe how the human body can prevent the entry of organisms that cause disease. Include physical barriers and chemical defences in your answer.


What does an organism use energy from respiration for?


Describe a typical cycle of a PCR reaction.


Name a metabolic process that produces water


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning