Question
Why is diffusion insufficient to meet the oxygen requirement of multicellular organisms like humans?

Answer

  • In multicellular organisms like human, all the cells are not in direct contact with the surrounding environment.
  • The body structure is more complex and the body size is also large.
  • Therefore, simple diffusion will not be sufficient to send oxygen to every cell.
  • It has been estimated that a period of $3$ years would be needed to carry a molecule of $O_2$ from our lungs to reach our toes through diffusion.
  • So, diffusion is insufficient to meet the oxygen requirement of multicellular organisms like humans.

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