Abstract
This chapter focuses on the gill filament whose unique structure has become highly specialized in order to perform the variety of diverse activities requisite for an aquatic existence. The gill filament is the functional unit of the gill and this is where essentially all of the homeostatic activities of the gill arch are carried out. Oxygen is taken up by simple diffusion across the epithelium of the respiratory lamellae. Carbon dioxide is excreted either as a dissolved gas across the lamellae, or in the form of bicarbonate by specialized ion transporting cells found on the filament body and occasionally on the lamellae. These and other ion transporting cells also transport sodium, calcium, hydrogen and chloride ions and thereby are vital in acid-base balance, calcium metabolism and osmoregulation. Other epithelial cells secrete mucus or provide a physiological barrier from the environment. Gill vessels not only serve as conduits for blood, they also metabolically activate or inactivate numerous hormones and other molecules in the plasma and in response to neural and endocrine signals they provide a means for selective control of tissue perfusion.
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