Respiration Notes

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Respiration notes

1) Why does the medium become acidic in mouth? What is the ill effect of this medium? How
can this be prevented?
Bacteria act on sugars and small food particles attached to teeth and produce acids to make acidic
medium in the mouth. This acidic medium demineralizes the enamel and leads to dental caries or
tooth decay.

Can be prevented by brushing the teeth regularly.

2) What is dental caries? How is it produced? What precaution can prevent it? What can it
cause if untreated?

 Dental caries – tooth decay that cause gradual softening of enamel and dentine.
 How is it produced – it is caused when bacteria act on sugars and produce acids that
softens or demineralizes the enamel. It happens when masses of bacterial cells
together with food particles stick to the teeth to form dental plaque. As plaque
covers the teeth saliva cannot reach the teeth surface to neutralise the acid.
 Precaution – Brushing the teeth regularly to remove plaque.
 If untreated – microorganisms invade tooth pulp causing inflammation and infection.
Homework:

1. What is meant by Fermentation? Give examples?


2. Name the intermediate and the end products of glucose breakdown in aerobic respira-
tion.
3. Why do we feel cramps in our muscles during vigorous physical activity?
4. If you compare your rate of breathing by feeling your chest movement with the number
of times a fish opens and closes its mouth, which will be higher and why?

Fair notes contd…

How is breathing different from respiration?

How do fish breathe?

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 through the
circulatory system travels to the fish's cells.

Why do fish die when taken out of water?

 Fish breathe through gills which are filled with blood capillaries that absorb the oxygen
dissolved in the water.
 When the fish is present inside the water it takes off the dissolved oxygen and releases
carbon dioxide by mouth.
∙When the fish is taken out of the water, it cannot breathe and the supply of oxygen is
reduced because the cannot use oxygen present in the atmosphere.
∙Due to which the fishes die when they are taken out of the water.

The direction of diffusion of gases in plants depends upon environmental condition and the
requirements of the plants. Justify the statement with suitable explanation.

At night when there is no photosynthesis CO2 elimination is the major exchange activity. During the
day CO2 generated during respiration is used up for photosynthesis. Hence there is no CO2 release.
Instead, Oxygen release is the major event at this time.
Respiration in humans

1. List the characteristics of lungs which make it an efficient respiratory surface.


Answer. These features which particularly make our lungs efficient for gas exchange.
1.Thin: the air sac walls are very thin so that gases can quickly diffuse through them.
Oxygen is absorbed in to the blood and carbon dioxide is given out in to the lungs to be
exhaled out.
2.Moist: the air sacs are moist with mucus so that gases can dissolve before diffusing.
3.Large surface area: the surface area for gases to diffuse through in human lungs is
roughly the same as a tennis court. The alveoli help to increase the surface area for
absorption of oxygen.
4.Good blood supply: the air sacs or the alveoli have a large capillary network so that
large volumes of gases can be exchanged. More the flow of blood more exchange.

2. Why do the walls of the trachea not ‘collapse ’ when there is less air in it?
Answer. Rings of cartilages are present in trachea. These rings support the trachea and
do not allow the trachea to collapse when there is less air in it.

3. How are the alveoli designed to maximise the exchange of gases?


Answer. Alveoli are small pouches or sacs like structure. They are surrounded by blood
capillaries. Thus a large amount of air is brought in contact with the air in the lungs.
More than millions of alveoli are present in the lungs. The presence of millions of alveoli
in the lungs provides a very large surface area for the exchange of gases. The availability
of large surface area maximises the exchange of gases.
4. What is meant by breathing? What happens to the rate of breathing during
vigorous exercise and why?
The process of taking in of oxygen from air in to the lungs and expulsion of carbon
dioxide out of the lungs is called breathing.

The rate of breathing during vigorous exercise increases by about 20 to 25 times per
minute.

It is because, during vigorous exercise the demand for oxygen increases. Breathing
occurs involuntarily but its rate is controlled by the respiratory center of the brain.

5. Name the energy currency in the living organism. When and where is it produced?
ATP ( adenosine tri phosphate) is the energy currency. Produced during cellular respiration
(mitochondria) and during photosynthesis (chloroplast).

6. Why do lungs have a residual volume of air?


Lungs always contain residual volume of air so that there will be sufficient time for inhalation
(oxygen to be absorbed) after exhalation (carbon dioxide to be released.)

Homework:
A) What advantage over an aquatic organism does a terrestrial organism have
regarding obtaining oxygen for respiration?
B) What are the different ways in which glucose is oxidised to provide energy in
various organisms?
C) How is oxygen and carbon dioxide transported in human beings?
D) How are the lungs designed in human beings to maximise the area for exchange
of gases?

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