COUNTERCURRENT EXCHANGE

• WHAT IS COUNTERCURRENT EXCHANGE?

  when water flows over gills in an opposing direction to blood flow in the capillaries
• WHAT DOES COUNTERCURRENT EXCHANGE ENSURE?

  equilibrium is not reached
• IN WHAT TYPE OF EXCHANGE IS EQUILIBRIUM REACHED?

  cocurrent
• WHAT ELSE DOES COUNTERCURRENT EXCHANGE ENSURE?

  diffusion gradient is maintained across the entire length of the gill lamellae