Lungs and gills
Breathing in air and in water.
Air or water
A bird flies in the air. A fish lives in water.
Do they both breathe with lungs?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Animals such as birds, cows, lizards and snakes breathe through lungs that differ in structure, while most aquatic animals like fish have gills, richly supplied with blood vessels, that exchange gases with the gases dissolved in water.
Air or water
A bird flies in the air. A fish lives in water.
Do they both breathe with lungs?
- No, most fish use gills
- Yes, all animals use lungs
- Fish do not breathe
Tap the animals
Tap Bird, Fish, Cow, Lizard and Snake. See which side lights up.
Two kinds of breathing organs
Birds, cows, lizards and snakes use lungs. Most fish use gills, which have many blood vessels and exchange gases with the gases dissolved in water.
Animals such as birds, cows, lizards and snakes breathe through lungs that differ in structure, while most aquatic animals like fish have gills, richly supplied with blood vessels, that exchange gases with the gases dissolved in water.
Notes
Animals such as birds, cows, lizards and snakes breathe through lungs that differ in structure, while most aquatic animals like fish have gills, richly supplied with blood vessels, that exchange gases with the gases dissolved in water.
Check yourself
Which of these animals breathes through lungs?
What do most aquatic animals like fish use to breathe?
Gills exchange gases with …
Which statement about lungs is right?
- Fish. Most fish breathe through gills.
- A tadpole. A tadpole breathes through gills.
- Cow — correct. Yes!
- Gills — correct. Yes!
- Lungs like a cow. Most fish have gills, not lungs.
- A windpipe like ours. Fish have gills that are richly supplied with blood vessels.
- only the air above the water. Gills exchange gases with the gases dissolved in water.
- the gases dissolved in water — correct. Yes!
- the sand at the bottom. Gills exchange gases with the gases dissolved in water.
- Lungs are exactly the same in all animals. The lungs of different animals are quite different in structure.
- Only humans have lungs. Birds, cows, lizards and snakes also breathe through lungs.
- Lungs of different animals differ in structure — correct. Yes!