DPS

IGCSE-BIOLOGY

TOPIC: RESPIRATION AND GAS EXCHANGE

BY: MICHAEL SIR

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OBJECTIVES
• Explain respiration and the types.
• Tell what energy in the body is used for.
• Describe how the gas exchange surfaces of the lung are adapted for
diffusion.
• Describe the differences in the composition of gases in inspired air
and expired air.
• Explain why the rate and depth of breathing increase with increasing
activities.
• etc

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Respiration
• Respiration: this is the breakdown of food nutrients in the cells of the body
to release energy.
• Energy needed by the body is gotten from the food we eat. The food is
digested.
• The main nutrients used to supply energy is glucose (chemical energy).
• In order to make use of the glucose, the cells have to break down the
glucose molecules and release energy. This series of metabolic reaction
are called respiration.
Note that:
• Respiration involves the action of enzymes
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Use of energy in the body
Energy in the body is used for:
• 1. muscle contraction to aid movement.
• 2. protein synthesis by combining amino acids.
• 3. cells division, so that damaged tissues can be repaired to ensure growth.
• 4. active transport, so that substances can be moved across cell membrane up their
concentration gradients.
• 5. growth, by building new cells which can divide to form new cells.
• 6. transmitting nerve impulse, so that impulse(information) can quickly be
transferred from one part of the body to another.
• 7. heat production inside the body, to keep the internal body temperature constant.
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Types of respiration
• Aerobic respiration
• Anaerobic respiration

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Aerobic respiration
• Aerobic respiration is the breakdown of glucose (nutrients molecules)
in the cells of the body to release energy with the use of oxygen.
• More energy is released. Aerobic respiration is a chemical reaction.

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Anaerobic respiration
• Anaerobic respiration is the breakdown of glucose(nutrients molecules) in
the cells of the body to release energy without the use of oxygen.
• Less energy is released. Anaerobic respiration is a chemical reaction.
• Muscle cells can also respire anaerobically for a short time. This happens
when you do vigorous exercise, and your lungs and heart cannot supply
oxygen to your muscles as quickly as they are using it.
• The muscle cells then releases energy from glucose without using oxygen
just to keep them going until oxygen is available again. This produce lactic
acid as well.
• Yeast respire anaerobically by producing alcohol and carbon dioxide.

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Comparing aerobic respiration and anaerobic
respiration
Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration

Involves chemical reaction in the cell that break down Involves chemical reaction in the cell that break down
glucose to release energy using oxygen. glucose to release energy without the use of oxygen.

No alcohol or lactic acid is made. Alcohol (yeast and plants) and lactic acid (in animal) is
made.

Large amount of energy released from each molecule of Much less amount released from each molecule of glucose.
glucose.

Carbon dioxide is made. Carbon dioxide is made by yeast and plants, but not by
animals(animals).

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GAS EXCHANGE IN HUMANS
• Animals breath oxygen and gives out carbon dioxide, this is basically
the exchange of gases within their lungs.
• This gases are exchanged at surfaces by diffusion.
• Adaptations to minimize the rate at which diffusion occurs is needed
by these gas exchange surfaces.

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Characteristics of gas exchange surfaces

• The gas surface must be permeable.

• They are thin to allow gases to diffuse across them quickly.
• They have large surface area, so that a lot gases can diffuse across at
the same time.
• They have good ventilation with oxygen(air).
• They have good supply of blood.

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Human breathing system(Respiratory tracts)
• Nose ( Nasal Cavity or Nostrils)
• Pharynx
• Larynx
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Bronchioles Found in the lungs
• Alveoli and associated capillaries
Other parts:
• Internal intercostal muscle
• External intercostal muscle
• Diaphragm
• Pleural membrane

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 Human breathing system (Respiratory tracts)
•

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Functions of the parts of the respiratory tract (breathing system)

Nose/Mouth

• Air enters the body through either the nose or mouth.

• Hairs in the nose trap dust particles in the air.
• The nose has a lining of cells called the goblet cells which makes a
liquid containing water and mucus which traps bacteria and dust
particles.
• There are hair-like structures called cilia in the nasal cavity which traps
dust particles.
• Cilia in the trachea and bronchi sweeps mucus containing bacteria and
dust particles, up to the back of the throat, so that it does not block the
lungs. 15
Cilia and mucus

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Larynx (voice box)
• Air from the nose enters into the trachea through the larynx (voice
box). The larynx contains vocal cords. The vocal cords can be
tightened by muscles so that they make sounds when air passes over
them causing vibration.
Trachea
• The trachea has rings of cartilages around it. The cartilage keeps the
trachea open, and help prevent the trachea collapsing at times when
the air pressure inside the trachea is lower than the pressure of the
air outside it.

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Bronchi
• Bronchi are the two divisions of the trachea into the lungs. These are
called right and left bronchi. One bronchi goes into the lungs and then
branches out into smaller tubes called bronchioles.
• The bronchioles have tiny air sacs called alveoli at their end.

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Alveoli
• This is where gas exchange takes
place. The walls of the alveoli are
the gas exchange surface.
• Tiny capillaries are wrapped
around the outside of the alveoli
• Oxygen diffuses across the walls
of the alveoli through the
capillaries into the blood and
carbon dioxide diffuse in the other
way.

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Gas exchange in the alveolus

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 Air composition between inspired and
expired air

• The composition of inspired and expired air changes because

1. Respiring cells uses oxygen in the blood for cellular respiration so the oxygen returning to
the lungs have lower concentration than blood leaving the lungs.
2. Carbon dioxide is produced from metabolic reactions in the body and transported through
the blood to the lungs, where it diffuses into the alveoli.
3. Water vapour concentration increases because water is evaporated from the moist linings
of the alveoli into the expired air as a result of the warmth of the body.
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Breathing movements
• Change in the volume of the thorax makes air move in and out of the
lungs.
• The regular increase and decrease of the size of the thorax to allow
the movement of air in the out is called breathing.
• The internal intercostal muscle and the external intercostal muscles
aids in breathing.
• The diaphragm also aids in breathing. The diaphragm is a large sheet
of muscle and elastic tissue which stretches across your body,
underneath the lungs and heart.

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Breathing In
• When we breath in,
• Diaphragm contract and moves downwards.
• Internal intercostal muscle relaxes and the external intercostal muscle
contract.
• This pulls the ribs upward and outward increasing the volume of the
thorax.
• As the volume of the thorax increases, the pressure inside it falls
below atmospheric pressure.
• Air then rushes into the lungs from the atmosphere.

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Breathing out
• When we breath out,
• Diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards.
• Internal intercostal muscle contract and the external intercostal
muscle relax.
• This pulls the ribs downward and inward decreasing the volume of the
thorax.
• As the volume of the thorax decreases, the pressure inside it rises
above atmospheric pressure.
• Air then rushes out of the lungs.

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Oxygen debt
• Oxygen debt is the amount of oxygen required to remove the lactic acid,
and replace the body's reserves of oxygen.
• As we do vigorous exercise, a lot of energy is used up so the heart beats
faster to supply oxygen to the muscles.
• Eventually a limit is reached where the heart and lungs cannot supply
oxygen to the muscles any faster. But the muscles continue to contract
requiring more energy.
• How can that extra energy be found?
• This extra energy is released in anaerobic respiration. Where glucose is
broken down to release little amount of energy to keep the muscles
working and the production of lactic acid.
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• When you stop running you have quite a lot of lactic acid in your muscles
and your blood. This lactic acid must be broken down by combining it with
oxygen in the liver cells. So, even though you no longer need extra energy,
you continue to breathe faster and more deeply than normal, and your
heart rate continues to be high.
• You are taking in and transporting extra oxygen to break down the lactic
acid. The faster heart rate also helps to transport lactic acid as quickly as
possible from the muscles to the liver.
• Whiles you were running you built up an oxygen debt. You ‘borrowed’ some
extra energy, without ‘paying’ for it with oxygen.
• Now, as the lactic acid combined with oxygen, you are paying off the debt.
Your breathing rate and heart rate will return to normal. When all the lactic
acid has been used up.
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 Exercise and control of breathing rate
• Exercise increases the rate and depth of heart beat in order to supply
extra oxygen to muscles.
• The rate at which your breathing muscles work and therefore your
breathing rate is controlled by the brain.
• The brain constantly monitors the pH of the blood that flows through it.
• If there is a lot of carbon dioxide or lactic acid in the blood, it causes pH
to fall.
• When the brain senses this, it sends nerve impulses to the diaphragm
and the intercostal muscles, stimulating them to contract harder and
more often. The result is a faster breathing rate and deeper breaths.

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Investigating the difference in composition
between inspired air and expired air.
• https://youtu.be/O1d9dmNnnks (We will discuss in class)

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Limewater turns milky or cloudy with carbon dioxide in it.
Test of carbon dioxide using limewater

• Limewater is use as a test for carbon dioxide to investigate the

differences in composition between inspired and expired air.
• Lime water appear milky or cloudy when carbon dioxide is present or
breathed into it.

Limewater turns milky or

cloudy with carbon dioxide
in it.

Limewater 29