RESPIRATION (Chapter 11, pg 122)

Breathing and respiration are not the same!

Breathing is the process of taking air into and expelling it from the lungs.

Respiration is the process by which energy is released from food in all living cells. The process is
catalysed by enzymes. Respiration takes place in the mitochondria of all cells.
The reason for eating is to get energy. Food is basically broken down to glucose, amino acids and fatty
acids and glycerol.
Glucose is used to provide energy. In the mitochondria of cells, glucose combines with oxygen to release
energy. This is called respiration. This takes place slowly in a large number of steps.
At each step in the breakdown of glucose, energy is released. This is used to convert a chemical called
ADP (adenosine diphosphate) into ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Each ATP is a ‘packet of energy’
to be used when needed.

Storage of energy in ATP has several advantages:

1) The energy can be released rapidly.
2) Energy can be released wherever, whenever as required by the cell.
3) Smaller quantities of energy can be released.

THE TWO TYPES OF RESPIRATION

AEROBIC RESPIRATION ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION
It uses oxygen Occurs without oxygen
It occurs in the mitochondria of cells Occurs in the cytoplasm
More energy is released. Less energy is released
Can occur in stagnant ponds and deep underground where there is no
oxygen. Eg. It occurs in some worms, bacteria, fungi.

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 RESPIRATION IN HUMANS
*Humans normally respire aerobically but during strenuous exercise muscles need a lot more energy.
*Breathing and heart rate increase to get more oxygen to the muscles. (When you respire a lot, a lot of
heat is produced. Heat is lost by sweating.)
*With continued exercise, oxygen is not enough so muscle cells respire anaerobically.
Glucose  lactic acid + a little energy
*Lactic acid builds up in muscles causing it to pain. This is called fatigue.
*After exercise the body tries to get rid of lactic acid as quickly as it can.
*At rest, a person continues to ‘breathe hard’ to get the oxygen needed to get rid of lactic acid.
*The oxygen needed to get rid of the lactic acid is called oxygen debt.
*Oxygen is used to convert lactic acid to carbon dioxide and water.
*Yeast carries out anaerobic respiration called fermentation. Here ethanol and CO2 are produced. Yeast
is important for making beer, bread, wine.
*Fermentation: is the anaerobic breakdown of glucose to produce alcohol.

GASEOUS EXCHANGE (pg 130)

In order for respiration to take place, humans need oxygen and we need to get rid of carbon dioxide. The
blood system allows for transport of carbon dioxide and oxygen. In humans, gaseous exchange takes
place in the lungs.
Gaseous exchange is the diffusion of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of the organism.

The site of gaseous exchange in humans is the alveoli.

Inspiration: breathing in
Expiration: breathing out.

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The site of gaseous exchange / the respiratory surface in plants is the leaf.
The site of gaseous exchange in fish is the gill lamellae.

ADAPTATIONS FOR EFFICIENT GASEOUS EXCHANGE IN HUMANS

1. A large surface area: large amounts of gas can be exchange.
2. Thin: gases can diffuse across rapidly.
3. Moist: gases must dissolve before they can diffuse through the surface.
4. Rich blood supply: to carry gases rapidly between the surface and body cells.

RESPIRATION IN PLANTS
In plants, the leaf is the respiratory surface or gaseous exchange surface. Gases pass through tiny pore
(stomata) on underside of the leaf.
During the day: both respiration and photosynthesis occurs- there is net flow of oxygen out and net flow
of carbon dioxide into the leaf.
At night: only respiration occurs- oxygen moves in and carbon dioxide out of the leaf.
Adaptation of leaf: it is thin, flat, a tree has thousands of leaves. All these result in a large surface area
for diffusion of gases.
RESPIRATION IN FISH
In fish, the gill lamellae (part of the gills) form the respiratory surface.
Adaptation: there are thousands of lamellae in each gill, this result in a large surface area. Lamellae and
capillaries are one cell thick so diffusion occurs rapidly. In fish water is continuously forced across the
gills.

A fish gill:

FACTORS AFFECTING BREATHING IN HUMANS

*EXERCISE *ANXIETY *DRUGS *WEIGHT *ALTITUDE *SMOKING (pg 138)
Cigarette smoke has: nicotine (highly addictive, raises blood pressure & heart rate; paralyses cilia in the
trachea so they cannot remove dirt and bacteria); tar (sticks to cells of lungs; damage lung lining, causes
cancer & smoker’s cough, breaks down the alveoli); carbon monoxide (cause less O2 to be transported
by blood, breathlessness).
[What are the effects of marijuana addiction? pg 139]