Cardio-respiratory control in vertebrates

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This book is designed for frequent study over the years, featuring contributions from over 40 researchers who explore respiration, circulation, and metabolism across species from fish to land vertebrates, including humans. A breathable atmosphere emerged around 500 million years ago, but oxygen levels in aquatic environments remain unstable. Water-breathing fish must adapt to fluctuating oxygen and temperature, leading to advanced counter-current systems for efficient oxygen extraction and sophisticated receptors. The transition to land occurred in the late Devonian period (355–359 million years ago), with recent findings illustrating the gradual evolution of terrestrial vertebrates. The stable, oxygen-rich atmosphere likely facilitated simpler oxygen-sensing mechanisms compared to acid-base regulation. Physiology has expanded to include biochemistry, molecular biology, morphology, and anatomy. The introduction of DNA-based cladograms aids in assessing the relationship between land vertebrates and lungfish, shedding light on their similar cardio-respiratory systems. Notably, the diffusing capacity of a duck lung is 40 times greater than that of a toad or lungfish, highlighting the evolutionary advancements in respiratory efficiency among certain species.