🌿 Transportation in Animals and Plants
🔷 What is Transportation?
Transportation is the process by which water, minerals, food, gases, and wastes are moved
from one part of the body to another in living organisms.
Transportation in Human Beings
🔹 Circulatory System
The circulatory system consists of:
● Heart
● Blood
● Blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries)
🔸 The Heart
● A muscular organ located in the chest cavity
● Four chambers:
○ Right atrium
○ Right ventricle
○ Left atrium
○ Left ventricle
● Pumping organ that maintains the flow of blood
🔁 Double Circulation:
Blood passes twice through the heart in one complete cycle:
1. Pulmonary circulation – between heart and lungs
2. Systemic circulation – between heart and body
Importance: Keeps oxygenated and deoxygenated blood separated, essential for
warm-blooded animals.
Here is a detailed explanation of the function of the heart, along with a labeled diagram:
🫀 Function of the Heart
✅ Definition:
The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and
nutrients to tissues and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes.
🔹 Main Functions of the Heart:
1. Pumping Oxygenated Blood:
The left side of the heart receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it to the
rest of the body.
2. Pumping Deoxygenated Blood:
The right side of the heart collects carbon dioxide-rich blood from the body and pumps
it to the lungs for purification.
3. Maintaining Circulation:
Ensures continuous blood flow (double circulation) through two loops:
○ Pulmonary circulation (heart–lungs–heart)
○ Systemic circulation (heart–body–heart)
4. Separation of Oxygenated and Deoxygenated Blood:
The four chambers of the heart keep the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood
completely separated, which is vital in warm-blooded animals like humans.
🔸 Structure of the Heart:
● 4 Chambers:
○ Right Atrium: receives deoxygenated blood from the body
○ Right Ventricle: pumps blood to the lungs
○ Left Atrium: receives oxygenated blood from lungs
○ Left Ventricle: pumps oxygenated blood to the body
● Valves: Prevent backflow of blood (e.g., tricuspid, bicuspid/mitral, semilunar)
Labeled Diagram of the Human Heart:
🩺 Flow of Blood Through the Heart:
1. Body → Right Atrium (via vena cava)
2. Right Atrium → Right Ventricle
3. Right Ventricle → Lungs (via pulmonary artery)
4. Lungs → Left Atrium (via pulmonary veins)
5. Left Atrium → Left Ventricle
6. Left Ventricle → Body (via aorta)
CARDIAC CYCLE (0.8SECONDS):
AURICULAR SYSTOLE (0.1S)
VENTRICULAR SYSTOLE (0.3S)
JOINT DIASTOLE (0.4S)
ORIGIN OF HEART BEAT:
S A NODE
A V NODE
BUNDLE OF HIS
PURKINJE FIBRES
🔸 Blood Vessels
Vessel Function Blood Type Structure
Arteries Carry blood away from the Oxygenated (except pulmonary Thick walls,
heart artery) deep
Veins Carry blood to the heart Deoxygenated (except Thin walls,
pulmonary vein) valves
Capillarie Connect arteries and veins Exchange gases & nutrients Very thin walls
s
🔸 Blood Components
Component Function
Plasma Transport of nutrients,
hormones
RBCs (Red Blood Cells) Carry oxygen via hemoglobin
WBCs (White Blood Cells) Fight infections
Platelets Help in blood clotting
🧪 Blood Clotting
● When injured, platelets release clotting factors
● Clot prevents excess blood loss and entry of microbes
🔸 Lymph
● Colourless fluid, part of the immune system
● Carries digested fats and white blood cells
● Helps in transporting materials and fighting infections
🌱 Transportation in Plants
🔹 Vascular Tissues
Plants have specialized tissues for transport:
● Xylem – transports water and minerals from roots to leaves
● Phloem – transports food (sugars) from leaves to other parts
🔸 Xylem
● Movement is unidirectional (roots → stem → leaves)
● Involves processes:
○ Absorption by roots
○ Transpiration pull: loss of water vapor from stomata creates suction
✅ Factors helping water movement:
● Root pressure
● Capillarity
● Cohesion and adhesion of water molecules
🔸 Phloem
● Movement is bidirectional
● Transports glucose and amino acids
● Active process – requires energy (ATP)
🍃 Process: Translocation
● Transfer of food from leaves to storage organs (e.g., fruits, roots)
💧 Transpiration
➤ Definition:
Loss of water vapor through stomata
Functions:
● Creates suction force (helps water rise)
● Cools the plant
● Maintains flow of water/minerals
Excretion – Definition:
Excretion is the biological process by which waste products of metabolism and other
non-useful or harmful substances are removed from the body of an organism.
Excretion in humans is the process of removing nitrogenous wastes (mainly urea) and excess
substances like water and salts from the body to maintain internal chemical balance
(homeostasis).
Main Excretory Organs:
Organ Function
Kidneys Filter blood to form urine (main organ)
Lungs Remove carbon dioxide and water vapor
Skin Removes sweat (water, salts, urea)
Liver Breaks down excess amino acids into
urea
Large Intestine Expels solid waste (though it's egestion)
Human Excretory System Components:
1. Kidneys – Bean-shaped organs that filter blood.
2. Ureters – Tubes that carry urine from kidneys to bladder.
3. Urinary Bladder – Stores urine temporarily.
4. Urethra – Releases urine from bladder to outside.
Urine Formation in Humans
Urine formation occurs in the nephrons of the kidneys and involves three main steps:
1. Glomerular Filtration
● Location: Bowman’s capsule (in the renal corpuscle)
● Process:
○ Blood enters the glomerulus under high pressure.
○ Water, salts, glucose, amino acids, and urea are filtered from the blood.
○ Large molecules (proteins, blood cells) remain in the blood.
● Result: Formation of glomerular filtrate.
2. Tubular Reabsorption
● Location: Proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule
● Process:
○ Useful substances like glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and most water are
reabsorbed into the blood.
○ Prevents loss of essential nutrients.
● Result: Concentration of the filtrate.
3. Tubular Secretion
● Location: Mainly in the distal convoluted tubule
● Process:
○ Additional wastes like potassium ions, hydrogen ions, creatinine, and drugs
are secreted from blood into the tubule.
● Purpose: Helps maintain acid-base balance and remove toxic substances.
HAEMODIALYSIS:
Definition:
Dialysis is a medical process that artificially removes waste products, excess water, and
toxins from the blood when the kidneys fail to function properly.
● When kidneys can no longer filter blood effectively (due to kidney failure or chronic
kidney disease), waste like urea and creatinine builds up in the body.
● Dialysis performs the filtering function of the kidneys.
Excretory Products in Plants:
● Oxygen (O₂) – from photosynthesis
● Carbon dioxide (CO₂) – from respiration
● Water (H₂O) – from transpiration and respiration
● Resins, gums, latex, tannins, alkaloids – from metabolism
● Wastes in old/dead tissues – like bark or leaves
Modes of Excretion in Plants:
Mode Explanation
Stomata & Lenticels Gaseous wastes like O₂ and CO₂ are released through stomata
(leaves) and lenticels (stem).
Transpiration Excess water is lost as water vapor through stomata.
Storage in Vacuoles Some waste materials are stored in vacuoles (non-toxic or
harmless form).
Shedding Leaves & Waste is stored in old tissues that are later shed (natural removal).
Bark
Exudation Substances like gums, resins, latex are excreted out of the plant
body.
Examples:
● Gum in acacia, latex in rubber plants, resins in pine trees, tannins in tea leaves
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