Gas exchange
- Do squid breathe through their skin?
Summary: Contrary to a 30-year-old well-regarded hypothesis, squid do not obtain oxygen across their skin to supply underlying tissues.
- Short-duration respirometry underestimates metabolic rate for discontinuous breathers
Summary: Calculation of the respiratory exchange ratio from rates of both oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide emission avoids underestimation of metabolic rate in discontinuous breathers.
- X-ray computed tomography study of the flight-adapted tracheal system in the blowfly Calliphora vicina, analysing the ventilation mechanism and flow-directing valves
Summary: Tracheal ventilation in blowflies is driven by the flight muscles, deforming the mesonotal air sacs, which results in a unidirectional airflow channelled by two antagonistically working passive valves.
- Right-to-left shunt has modest effects on CO2 delivery to the gut during digestion, but compromises oxygen delivery
Summary: Shunting in reptiles is ineffective for regulating gastric CO2 supply but effectively reduces blood O2 levels.
- The long road to steady state in gas exchange: metabolic and ventilatory responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia in Cuvier's dwarf caiman
Summary: Attainment of a steady state in gas exchange upon and following hypoxia and hypercapnia in reptiles may take a prolonged time, especially if blood flow and ventilation rates are low.
- Gas exchange and dive characteristics of the free-swimming backswimmer Anisops deanei
Highlighted Article: Exotic gas experiments and mathematical modelling show that backswimmers extend dive duration by extracting 20% of their O2 directly from the water.
- Flight-motor-driven respiratory airflow increases tracheal oxygen to nearly atmospheric level in blowflies (Calliphora vicina)
Highlighted Article: Blowflies increase their tracheal oxygen concentration during flight above the resting level by a unidirectional autoventilatory airflow.
- Interruption to cutaneous gas exchange is not a likely mechanism of WNS-associated death in bats
Summary: White-nose syndrome is unlikely to cause death in hibernating bats by interfering with passive gas exchange across wing surfaces.