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Why don't gills work in air?

772 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  goodbytes 
#1 ·
Aside from the way air/water is pushed through, gills and lungs work about the same way. So why don't gills work if you take a fish out of water? Is it just because the fine little bits start sticking together when they dry out?
Hmm... come to think of it, lungs wouldn't work so well if you dried them out inside.
 
#2 ·
It's because the gill fillaments collapse when out of water making the fish suffocate.

Let's put it this way... when some plants are under water, their leaves are all spread out and look bushy... But once you pull it out of water, they're all stuck together.
 
#3 ·
Yes, the water helps to provide the lubrication for the epithelial surfaces of the gills preventing them from sticking together. Water is also considerably denser than air so consider how useless a mechanical water pump would be if you tried to use it as an air pump. In our lungs the alveoli are the terminal structure--the final destination for the air you suck in. They contain a special serous lubricant that prevents the insides from sticking together when you exhale.
 
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