Year 8 Biology Topic 2:

Respiration, Breathing and

Circulation
 How do cells transfer energy?
You and your cells need energy to move, to grow and to keep warm. You
get your energy from the organic molecules in the food you eat.

But, eating the food is not enough. You need to release the chemical
energy stored in the food, through a series of chemical reactions called
aerobic respiration:

glucose + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water (+ energy)

(reactants) (products)
There is a lot of energy stored in glucose

glucose + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water (+ energy)

(reactants) (products) Used to:

• Move
• Grow
• Keep warm

We can carry out the same chemical reaction in a laboratory

to show just how much energy is stored in glucose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch/AlrU8MgBrP4
Where does respiration take place?

cell
membrane

nucleus
cytoplasm

Inside mitochondria
mitochondria
 How do the reactants get there?
The body depends on the digestive system and the breathing system to
supply the reactants for respiration.

glucose is the fuel oxygen

supplied
? by is supplied
? by
the digestive system the breathing system
 Detecting respiration
Method Diagram Observations
blow
Breathe out and collect exhaled The flame went out quicker in
air in a gas jar. Place gas jar over exhaled air.
a burning candle and time how This shows exhaled air has less
long the candle burns for. blow
oxygen in it.
Breathe out through a straw Limewater turns cloudy white.
into a test tube of lime water. limewater
Shows there is carbon dioxide in
exhaled air.
Breathe on to cobalt chloride Cobalt chloride paper turns pink.
paper. Shows there is water vapour in
exhaled air.
Breathe on to a thermometer. Breath temperature is higher than
blow
air temperature.
Shows there is heat energy in
exhaled air.
Explain how the experiments show respiration is
taking place
Exhaled air has less
oxygen in it because the
flame went out quicker.

glucose + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water (+ energy)

Exhaled air has more carbon Exhaled air is warmer, because

dioxide because it turned heat energy is released.
limewater cloudy white.
Exhaled air has more water
in it because it turned
cobalt chloride paper pink.
 Comparing Inhaled and Exhaled Air
Gas Inhaled Air /% Exhaled Air /% Change Reason
Nitrogen 78 78 none not used by body

Oxygen 21 16 decrease used in respiration

Carbon dioxide 0.04 4 increase produced by respiration

Water 0.5 2 increase produced by respiration

body heat, released in

Temperature Room Higher increase
respiration
 The Intercostal
Trachea
breathing muscles

(ventilation)
system Rib Bronchus

Heart* Bronchiole

*The heart is not actually part of Diaphragm Alveoli

the breathing system
 How do we breathe?
Larger volume
So lower pressure
So air drawn in

Smaller volume
So higher pressure
So air forced out

https://www.youtube.com/watch/GiFzg1Ek-_E
 INHALATION EXHALATION

= Breathing in = Breathing out

Diaphragm moves down (and flattens) Diaphragm moves back up

Intercostal muscles contract, which… Intercostal muscles relax, which…

… lifts ribs up and out … lets ribs move down and in

Volume inside thorax increases Volume inside thorax decreases

Pressure inside thorax decreases Pressure inside thorax increases

Air is sucked in Air is forced out

 Bell jar model

https://www.youtube.com/watch/5rbl6PwjyXk
Lung tissue
with a light
microscope
 Gas exchange in the alveolus
Oxygen-poor blood enters
Oxygen diffuses
from alveolus Inhaled air
into blood Exhaled air
(Red blood cell
picks up oxygen)

Oxygen-rich
blood leaves

Carbon dioxide diffuses Moisture lining alveolus

from blood into alveolus
Wall of alveolus only 1 cell thick
 Alveoli are well adapted for gas exchange
Adaptation How it helps gas exchange
Large surface area
Lots of gas can diffuse at once
(80m2 for two lungs)
Alveoli walls are thin
Short distance for gas to diffuse
(only one cell thick)
Alveoli are always close to blood
Good blood supply, nearby
vessels (capillaries)
Gases can dissolve and diffuse more
Alveolus surface is moist
easily
 How cilia and mucus keep our lungs clean

cilia

ciliated
cell

cytoplasm goblet nucleus

cell
 How cilia and mucus in the trachea work

• Mucus traps dust

particles and bacteria.

• Cilia sweep the mucus

up and out of your
airways.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01756qx
 Smoking destroys cilia
• Chemicals in tobacco smoke damage cilia.

Smoking

• This allows mucus to flow into your lungs, making it harder to breathe
and often causing infection.
• Smokers cough this mucus up (this is known as a smoker’s cough).
 Aerobic respiration

glucose + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water (+ energy)

(reactants) (products)

Used to:
Where does respiration take place? • Move
• Grow
How do the reactants get there?
• Keep warm
 Red blood cells are specialised
cells that carry oxygen
Say what you see (= describe) Why it matters (= explain)
… To carry oxygen from lung to
Has haemoglobin …
cells/tissues of the body

Has no nucleus … … To contain more haemoglobin

… To give larger surface area to get

Biconcave disc shape …
oxygen in faster
… So they can squeeze through narrow
Has a flexible membrane …
capillaries (smallest blood vessels)
 Humans have a double
circulatory system

• Blood travels from heart (right side) → lungs

• Blood becomes oxygenated
• Blood goes from lungs →heart (left side)
• Heart → cells / tissues of the body
• Blood delivers oxygen to cells for respiration
• Deoxygenated blood returns to heart (right side)
Humans have a double circulation
aorta
main artery pulmonary artery
lung artery
Body Lungs

right atrium left atrium

maincava
vena vein lung vein vein
pulmonary

right ventricle left ventricle

Oxygenated blood
Deoxygenated blood
 Different types of blood vessels
blood from blood to
the heart the heart

artery vein
carries blood carries blood
away from back into
the heart the heart

carries blood
to and from the
body’s cells
Do all blood vessels carry the same type of blood?