Since the amount of dissolved Oxygen is fairly low compared to the amount of Oxygen in the air. So, the rate of breathing in aquatic organisms is much faster than that seen in terrestrial organisms.

Reasons for faster breathing rate in aquatic organisms

Aquatic organisms are organisms that live in water. They can be divided into two categories: freshwater and marine organisms. These organisms have adapted to the aquatic environment and have developed various mechanisms to survive. One such mechanism is the faster breathing rate seen in aquatic organisms compared to terrestrial organisms. There are several reasons for this adaptation:

1. Lower concentration of dissolved oxygen in water:

The concentration of dissolved oxygen is much lower in water than in air. This is because oxygen dissolves poorly in water. Aquatic organisms need to extract oxygen from water to survive. To compensate for the lower concentration of oxygen, aquatic organisms have developed a faster breathing rate. This allows them to take in more water and extract more oxygen.

2. Water is denser than air:

Water is denser than air, which means that oxygen diffuses more slowly in water than in air. This makes it harder for aquatic organisms to extract oxygen from water. To overcome this, aquatic organisms have developed a faster breathing rate. This allows them to take in more water and extract more oxygen.

3. Buoyancy:

Aquatic organisms are buoyant in water, which means that they need to expend more energy to stay in one place. This requires more oxygen consumption, which requires a faster breathing rate.

4. Higher metabolic rate:

Aquatic organisms have a higher metabolic rate than terrestrial organisms. This is because water is a more thermally conductive medium than air, which means that heat is lost more quickly in water than in air. This requires aquatic organisms to expend more energy to maintain their body temperature, which requires a faster breathing rate.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, aquatic organisms have developed a faster breathing rate to compensate for the lower concentration of oxygen in water, slower diffusion of oxygen in water, buoyancy, and higher metabolic rate. This adaptation allows them to survive in the aquatic environment.