Modeling the oxygen uptake, transport and consumption in an estivating terrestrial snail, Xeropicta derbentina, by the Colburn analogy

PLoS One. 2021 May 20;16(5):e0251379. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251379. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

The present work gives insight into the internal heat management of the respiratory system in the terrestrial snail Xeropicta derbentina, which has to cope with extreme climate conditions in its habitat. A realistic model of the lung´s vein system was constructed and the active diffusive surface of capillaries and main vein was calculated and confirmed by geometrical measurements. We here present a model that is able to validate the measured oxygen consumption by the use of the Colburn analogy between mass and momentum transfer. By combining basic diffusion laws with the momentum transfer, i.e. wall shear stress, at the inner wall of the lung capillaries and the main vein, the progression of the oxygen mass fraction in the hemolymph can be visualized.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diffusion
  • Hot Temperature
  • Lung / metabolism
  • Lung / physiology
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Oxygen / metabolism*
  • Oxygen Consumption / physiology*
  • Snails / metabolism*

Substances

  • Oxygen

Grants and funding

UF received a personal PhD grant from the ‘Twinning Project’ Programme of Tübingen University by the State of Baden-Württemberg The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.