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Assess Yourself!
Name Class Date
A scout from the National Youth Swimming Team is coming to watch a school swimming gala to
see if there are any students who might be able to train for the national team. The scout is also
going to carry out some tests and measurements on some of the students. A letter needs to be
written to parents to explain what the scout is going to do and why this is being done. Parents will
need to sign the letter to give their consent for the children to be tested.
Write a letter to parents. Remember that parents probably don’t know very much about respiration
and so you will need to explain it to them.

Name Class Date

Now that you have completed the activity, circle the number of stars next to each of these
sentences to describe how well you did.

I have…
explained that humans are living organisms and so need to respire.
* * * * *
described how swimming fast needs lots of energy.
* * * * *
stated the gases involved in aerobic respiration.
* * * * *
explained that we use our lungs to get the air we need.
* * * * *
described how to measure breathing and pulse rates.
* * * * *
described how exercise changes breathing and pulse rates.
* * * * *
stated the products and reactants involved in aerobic respiration.
* * * * *
recalled the major organs in the gaseous exchange system.
* * * * *
described the functions of organs in the gaseous exchange system.
* * * * *
explained how muscles cause breathing.
* * * * *
described ways in which respiration can be detected.
* * * * *
recalled what happens in anaerobic respiration in humans.
* * * * *
correctly used the terms: breathing, breathing rate, ventilation, inhalation,
exhalation. * * * * *
explained why athletes don’t smoke.
* * * * *
described the structure of the lungs (including air sacs and alveoli).
* * * * *
explained how exercise changes breathing and pulse rates.
* * * * *
used a pressure model to explain ventilation.
* * * * *
explained why the scout might measure blood lactic acid levels.
* * * * *
explained why anaerobic respiration cannot go on for too long.
* * * * *
recalled some causes of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.
* * * * *
described how lactic acid is removed from tissues.
* * * * *
explained how the lungs are adapted for efficient gas exchange.
* * * * *
What could you do to improve?
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Assess Yourself!

Dear parents,
A scout from the national team is coming and is going to carry out some tests. I understand you
may be concerned over the welfare of your children, but these are necessary and simple things.
Humans are organisms that need to respire (breathe.) There are 2 types of respiration, aerobic and
anaerobic.
During aerobic respiration, you need oxygen and glucose to create energy and the energy is used
so your children can swim. However, when you are using energy quicker than you are making
energy (seen when you are swimming to get more oxygen to your muscles you breathe faster and
your heart pumps quicker to get oxygen in your body and carbon dioxide and water (waste
products) out of your body.
Oxygen you inhale goes down the trachea, into the bronchioles, and into the alveoli (in the lungs)
which are big and 1 cell thick do diffusion occurs quicker., where gas exchange takes place. Gas
exchange is where oxygen is taken by the blood (haemoglobin) and carbon dioxide is taken into
the alveoli in the process of diffusion. The carbon dioxide goes out of the lungs and the trachea
and is exhaled out. The blood is transported to the heart by capillaries (blood vessels) where the
heart will pump it out to all the organs and muscles in the body. The muscles use the oxygen to
respire and the waste products are taken back by veins, then to the lungs, until your body exhales
it out.
To make the lungs inhale and exhale, there are muscles to help it. During inhalation, intercostal rib
muscles (muscles in between your ribs) contract and pull the rib up and out. The diaphragm (a
muscle below the lungs), also contract and let the lung expand so oxygen can get into the lungs.
This happens as pressure outside higher is outside the lungs so air travels to the place with lower
pressure. Then, to exhale, the intercostal rib muscles relax, pushing the lungs down and in, and
the diaphragm relaxes, pushing the lungs up. There is higher pressure in the lungs, so air goes
out.
The scouts are going to do a test of the breathing rate (how much you breathe in 1 minute) which
will be counting the breaths you take in 15 seconds and multiplying by 4. We will also take a test of
your pulse rates (how much your heart pumps in 1 minute) which will be counting the number of
times your heart beats in 15 seconds and multiplying by 4. They will also be breathing into some
limewater which will turn milky when in contact with carbon dioxide, this will detect respiration in
your offspring.
When there is not enough oxygen, cells use anaerobic respiration (the other type of respiration) to
create energy. To do this, cells use glucose, and the waste product are lactic acid. When
anaerobic respiration occurs for too long, there will be a build-up of lactic acid which will cause
cramps so the scout will also test for that. The body also gets tired so you can’t go on for long. The
body gets rid of lactic acid when the blood transports it to the liver which converts it to glucose.
When cells do not get enough oxygen, cells can die. This is what happens in strokes (not enough
oxygen getting to the brain) and heart attacks. When you smoke, it also harms your body. People
get addicted to the nicotine in the smoke. However, there are harmful things in the smoke such as
carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide gets stuck in the lungs so less oxygen can get in. The blood
also mistakes carbon monoxide for oxygen, so it carries less oxygen. This will limit the amount of
oxygen getting to muscles and could affect the swimming of your child. The tar in the smoke also
narrows the bronchioles and damages cilia (small hairs that protect you from infection.) Long term
smoking also causes cancer, strokes, and heart disease.

Yours sincerely,
Teacher of school
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Assess Yourself!