Respiration in Organisms: Question and Answers

RESPIRATION IN ORGANISMS
Question and answers
Q1. Why does an athlete breathe faster and deeper than usual after finishing the race?
Ans. Athletes need a lot of energy during the race, and for the release of energy, they need a lot
of oxygen, hence they breathe faster than usual after finishing the race.
Q2. List the similarities and differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Ans. Similarities: In both kinds of respiration, food particles are broken down to finer
constituents.
Differences
Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration
Takes place in the presence of Takes place in the absence of Oxygen

Oxygen
End products are CO2 and H2O End products are CO2 and alcohol
Produces a large amount of energy The energy released is less when compared to aerobic
respiration
It occurs in most plants and animals Occurs in yeast and some bacteria
Q3. Why do we often sneeze when we inhale a lot of dust-laden air?
Ans. When we inhale dust-laden air, the dust irritates the nose; as a reflexive action, dust is
thrown out through sneezing.
Q4. Take three test-tubes. Fill ¾th of each with water. Label them A, B and C. Keep a snail
in test-tube A, a water plant in test-tube B and in C, keep snail and plant both. Which test-
tube would have the highest concentration of CO2?
Ans. Test tube A will have the highest concentration of CO2 because test-tube A will have Snail
which expels out CO2 into the tube. In tube C, there is a plant which will inhale CO2 to decrease
CO2 concentration in the tube C.
Q5. Why does anaerobic respiration take place in our muscles sometimes?
Ans. During heavy physical work like cycling, running, jumping, etc., the demand of energy is
high but the supply of oxygen is limited. Hence, anaerobic respiration takes place in the muscle
cells to fulfil the demand of energy.
Q6. Why do we feel relieved after a massage of the pain in the leg muscles due to cramps?
Ans. Massage improves the circulation of blood leading to increased supply of oxygen in the
muscle cells which helps in complete breakdown of lactic acid into C02 and water. Thus, help in
relieving of the pain.
Q7. What is breathing rate?
Ans. The number of times a person breathes per minute is known as the breathing rate. A single
breath means one inhalation and one exhalation; both take place alternatively.
Q8. Why do we feel hungry after a physical activity?
Ans. When we need extra energy, we breathe faster. As a result more oxygen is supplied to our
cells. It speeds up the breakdown of food and more energy is released. Due to rapid breakdown
of food we feel hungry.
Q9. Describe the mechanism of breathing in human beings with a suitable diagram.
Ans. During inhalation, diaphragm moves down and ribs move up and outwards this movement
increases space in our chest cavity and air rushes into the lungs. The lungs get filled with air.
During exhalation, diaphragm moves up to its former position and ribs move down and inwards.
The space in the chest cavity decreases and thus air from the lungs is forced to get out of the
body through the air passage. This is known as exhalation.
Q10. How does exchange of gases take place in fish? Draw a diagram of breathing organs
in fish.
Ans. Fish have gills for respiration. Gills are feathery organs full of blood vessels. A fish
breathes by taking water into its mouth and forcing it out through the gill passages. As water
passes over the thin walls of the gills, dissolved oxygen moves into the blood and travels to the
fish’s cells. Likewise carbon dioxide from the fish’s cells moves into the blood and is eliminated
out through gills into the water.
Q11. Explain the respiratory system in cockroaches.
Ans. A cockroach has small openings on the sides of its body, called spiracles. It also has a
network of air tubes called tracheae for gas exchange. Oxygen rich air rushes through spiracles
into the tracheal tubes, diffuses into the body tissue and reaches every cell of the body. Similarly,
carbon dioxide from the cells goes into the tracheal tubes and moves out through spiracles.
Q12. How does respiration occur in earthworms?

Ans. Earthworms breathe through their skins. The skin of an earthworm feels moist and slimy on
touching. Gases can easily pass through them.
Q13. Describe the process of breathing in human beings.
Ans. When we breathe in, air enters through nasal cavity. The hair and mucus present in the
nasal cavity traps dust and other particles present in air. Air from nasal cavity then reaches the
pharynx in the neck region and the larynx. Below the larynx is the trachea. The trachea divides
into two bronchi, right and left, which leads to the lungs.
In the lungs, each bronchus branches into smaller tubes called bronchioles. At the end of the
bronchioles, small rounded structures called air sacs or alveoli are present. Each alveolus is made
up of a very thin membrane surrounded by blood vessels. Exchange of gases occur in air sacs
through the process of diffusion.
In short passage of air from nose can be depicted as:

Nose ➝ Nasal cavity ➝ Pharynx ➝ Larynx ➝ Trachea ➝ Bronchi ➝ Bronchioles ➝ Alveoli
(air sac)
Q14. How does respiration occur in plants?
Ans. In plants each part can independently take in oxygen from the air and give out carbon
dioxide. Roots take in air present in the soil. Leaves have tiny pores called stomata through
which they exchange gases. The breakdown of glucose in the plant cells is similar to that in other
living beings.

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RESPIRATION IN ORGANISMS

Question and answers

Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration

Takes place in the presence of Takes place in the absence of Oxygen

Q12. How does respiration occur in earthworms?

In short passage of air from nose can be depicted as:

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