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Fundamental Structural Aspects and Features in the Bioengineering of the Gas Exchangers: Comparative Perspectives

  • Book
  • © 2002

Overview

Authors:
  1. J. N. Maina

    1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Part of the book series: Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology (ADVSANAT, volume 163)

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XI
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  2. Introduction: Evolution of the Respiratory Processes

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 1-6

  3. Metabolic Demands and Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 7-8

  4. Themes and Principles in the Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 9-11

  5. Functional Requirements and Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 13-16

  6. Respiratory Media Versus Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 17-18

  7. Compromises and Trade-Offs in the Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 19-20

  8. Safety Factors in the Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 21-23

  9. Malleability, Tractability and Performance of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 25-26

  10. Presentations of Respiratory Media in Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 27-28

  11. Compartmentalization and Stratification of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 29-32

  12. Separation of Respiratory Media in Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 33-35

  13. Exposure and Disposition of Respiratory Media in Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 37-38

  14. Pneumocytes, Surfactant and Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 39-41

  15. Fractal Geometry and Design of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 43-46

  16. Sheet Flow Design in the Vasculature of Gas Exchangers

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 47-49

  17. Summary and Conclusion

    • J. N. Maina
    Pages 51-53

  18. Back Matter

    Pages 55-112
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Keywords

About this book

The history of biology is replete with examples of how comparative biology helped clarify the meaning of structure and function in complex animals. Indeed, without the comparative approach to biology, the birth of physiology would have been delayed. Fishman (1979) Comparative morphologists are challenged to discern the changes that have occurred in evolution and development of the forms and states of organisms as well as to explain the factors that compelled them (e.g. Dullemeijer 1974). The main objective of this contribution is to present what I deem to be some of the fundamental structural aspects in the design of respiratory or­ gans while debating and speculating on when, how and why these states were founded. My main thesis is that the modern gas exchangers are products of protracted processes that have en­ tailed adaptation to specific environments and lifestyles. Only those feasible designs that have proven adequately competent in meeting demands for molecular oxygen have been preserved. Unfortunately, August Krogh's (Krogh 1941) and Pierre Dejours' (Dejours 1975) seminal works on the comparative physiology of the respiratory organs have not been paralleled by equally exten­ sive and detailed morphological work. Our approach has been to look into the limiting functional properties as regards the respi­ ratory capacities of gas exchangers while finding out the specific structural adaptations that have evolved to meet the metabolic needs or to look into form and to discern how it limits function. This has allowed a deduction of structure-function correlation.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Anatomical Sciences, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    J. N. Maina

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Fundamental Structural Aspects and Features in the Bioengineering of the Gas Exchangers: Comparative Perspectives

  • Authors: J. N. Maina

  • Series Title: Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55917-4

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE, part of Springer Nature 2002

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-540-42951-7Published: 14 February 2002

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-55917-4Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 0301-5556

  • Series E-ISSN: 2192-7065

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 117

  • Number of Illustrations: 158 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Cell Biology, Human Physiology

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