Question

What are some adaptations that occured in the evolution of the Animal Kingdom to meet the needs of more cells (bigger bodies)? hint: has to do with Bulk Transport.

Answer 1

At cellular level, it is easy to transport all essential requirements and waste to and fro the cell membrane but as the size of the body increases, it becomes difficult to transport nutrients, water and sugar around the body. Vascular plants have Xylem and phloem as a transportation system. Like plants, animals too have evolved to develop specialized structures for all sort of bulk transportation (such as oxygen, food, waste, oxygenated blood etc.) in their body. The various transportation systems are as follows

a) For food transportation - specialized digestive system

b) For air transportation - specialized respiratory system

c) For waste transportation – Excretory system

d) For fluid transportation – Circulatory system

e) For neural information transportation – Nervous system etc.

Basically, it can be said that with the evolution progression, cells underwent specialisation to forms tissues and hence specific organ system for bulk transportation of various elements and fluid with in the large bodies of animals instead of undergoing inte and intra cellular transmission.