Animals utilize flow for mass transport in the body, and for locomotion in water or through the air. In this paper, flow for oxygen transport is mainly discussed. Principally, the oxygen transport is divided into two parts: one is in a region from the atmosphere to the respiratory organ, and the other is from the respiratory organ to the tissue. The former is termed respiration system and the latter is circulation system. Circulation system, which usually consists of a heart and vessels, is required in any animals greater than 3 mm. Mostly in invertebrates, the blood is pumped out from the peristaltic heart, and flows freely between organs (open circulation system). A vertebrate heart is a chamber pump, and distribution of the blood is regulated to each organ in closed circulation system. Respiratory pigment is common in most animals which saves cost for the oxygen supply and the volume of circulating blood, though blood viscosity increases. Respiratory organs are categorized into three groups: gills, lungs and tracheae. The gill, which is an evaginated organ, is familiar among aquatic animals but not among territorial ones because it requires large surface and thin wall resulting poor rigidity in air. However, the gill has higher efficiency than a lung in general due to the counter current flow. For air breathing animals, a lung which reduces water loss during respiration is necessary especially in dry circumstances. Compact avian lungs work together with the thin-walled air sacs which make unidirectional ventilation flow through the lung. In human lungs, ventilation flow through the bronchus augments gas transport with steady streaming and Taylor dispersion. An insect respires with forced-ventilation or auto-ventilation: abdominal/thoracic pumping or muscle pumping, through the tracheal network, and both ventilation methods sustain aerobic metabolism during flight.
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