Importance of Oxygen
All animals need oxygen to survive. Oxygen is used is to create energy for the organism's cells. The first part in taking energy for humans is to inhale it through our nose. Our diaphragm contracts when we take in air and once we breathe out it relaxes. Once we have inhaled the oxygen, it oxygen goes through our trachea, similar to a tube, which then breaks up into smaller tubes called bronchi, one for each lung. The bronchial tubes, go into the lungs where they form into smaller tubes that then connect to alveoli which are tiny sacs. There, the oxygen diffuses through the capillaries onto the blood stream and carbon dioxide is exhaled. The oxygen goes through the blood stream and is delivered to every cell. Once it's diffused into the cells, it goes through mitochondria inside the cell where the creation of energy for occurs. This is where cellular respiration takes place. Cellular respiration is the release of chemical bonds stored in glucose. This is then formed into ATP which supplies their energy needs.
Gas Exchange in Manta Rays
Giant Manta Rays, classified among Elasmobranchii, are fishes. Fishes breathe by taking in water through their mouth and passing it down to their gills which are organs full of blood vessels. In this case, Manta Rays are special because they have cephalic lobes in the front of their head which help direct water into their mouth. As the fish opens it's mouth, the operculum, which protects the gills, closes. It then opens when the fish's mouth is closed, in turn, allowing water to reach the gills. As the water goes through the walls of the gills, dissolved oxygen then moves into the blood, and at the same time carbon dioxide diffuses out of the fish's blood stream. Finally, it reaches the fish's cells giving them the energy needed.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/6/6/26662733/435155795.jpg?394)
The location of the gills in a Manta Ray are shown here, as highlighted in blue. The red is the filters inside the Manta Ray.