Book Title: Jaina Biology
Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Page 176
________________ The Organisation of the Human Body 165 of organism exchange oxygen ( usāsa ) and Carbon-dioxide (nisāsa ) directly (like lomāhāra ) with the surrounding environment. Indirect Respiration : As animals appear to have evolved into higher, more complex forms, it became impossible for each cell to exchange gases directly with the external environment. Some form of indirect respiration involving a structure of body specialized for respiration was necessary, e.g. lungs (phopphasaphephasa ).19 "For indirect respiration, fishes and many other animals developed gills", 20 the higher vertebrates, reptiles (parisarpas ), birds (paksins ) and mammals including man developed lungs (phopphasaphephasa).21 In Jaina Biology an external and internal phase in indirect respiration can be distinguished in the exchange of gases between the body cells and the environment as suggested by its reference to ānapāna22 or usāsa-nisāsa 23 or prāņāpāna.24 External respiration (prāna )25 is the exchange of gases by diffusion between the external environment and the blood stream by means of the specialized respiratory organ, for example, lungs (phopphasa phephasa ) 26 in the mammals including man. Internal respiration is by all means27 the exchange of gases between the blood stream and the cells of the body, brought about byānapāna28 or ucсhvāsa 29 paryāpti. Between these phases the gases are transported by the circulatory system. Structure of the Human Respiratory System : Jaina Biology states that the respiratory system in man (and other air-breathing vertebrates ) includes the lungs and suggests the existence of the tubes by which air reaches them (phopphasa phephasa ).30 Besides this statement, it does not go into details of the structure. The Buddhist work “Visuddhimagga’ throws some light in this respect. It is stated there 19. Tapdula Veyaliya, 17. p. 38. 20. Biology, p. 284. 21. Tandula Veyaliya 17, p. 38 22. Navatattvaprakaraṇam 6, p. 12, ; Gommațasāra, Jivakānda, 119. 23. Tandula Veyäliya 4, PP, 8-9.; Višeşāvasyākabhāşya, gāthā, 2714. 24. Tattvärthadhigama Sūtra, v. 19 ; ( Bhāșya ). 25. Sarvārthasiddihi v. 19 ( Bhagya ). 26. Tandula Veyaliya. 17, p. 38 ; Sarvarthasiddhi v. 19 ( Bhāşya ) 27. Tandula Veyaliya, 4, p. 8, "Savvão usasei savvao nisa sei” 28. Navata tvaprakaraṇam, 6, p. 12. 29. Lokaprakāsı, Pt. I. 3; 22. 30. Tandula Veyaliya 17, p. 38. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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