RESPIRATION IN ORGANISMS

1) Name the steps involved in respiration

1. -Breathing: intake of oxygen from atmosphere and release of carbon dioxide
2. -Gaseous exchange-
3. -Breakdown of simple food inside the cell to release energy –cellular respiration.

2) Name the first step in cellular respiration. Where does it occur inside the cell?
- Break-down of glucose, a six-carbon molecule, into a three-carbon molecule called
pyruvate
-It takes place in the cytoplasm.

3) Where does the breakdown of pyruvate using oxygen take place?

Inside the mitochondrion.

4) Represent schematically the ways by which glucose is broken down in

different organisms in presence/absence or deficiency of oxygen.

5) Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

Aerobic respiration
1. Glucose is broken down in presence of
oxygen
2. Complete oxidation of the substrate occurs.
3. More energy is released
4. Takes place in cytoplasm and mitochondria
of the cell
5. Occurs in higher organisms
Anaerobic respiration
1. Glucose is broken down in absence of
oxygen
2. Incomplete oxidation of the substrate
occurs.
3. Less energy is released.
4. Takes place in cytoplasm only
5. Occurs in lower organisms like
bacteria, yeast

6) Why do muscular cramps occur after doing heavy exercises / running for a long
time?
- Muscle cells will not get sufficient oxygen, during vigorous exercise.
- Hence ,Pyruvate is converted into lactic acid.
- Accumulation of lactic acid in muscles during sudden activity causes cramps.

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7) Expand ATP. How is it generated? What is its use?
- ATP- Adenosine tri phosphate.
- The energy released during cellular respiration is immediately used to synthesize
ATP.
- ATP is known as “Energy currency of cell”. It fuels all cellular activities.
- In these processes, ATP is broken down giving rise to a fixed amount of energy which
can drive the endothermic reactions taking place in the cell.
-
8) Aerobic organisms need a continuous supply of oxygen. Why?
Since the aerobic respiration pathway depends on oxygen, aerobic organisms need to
ensure that there is sufficient intake of oxygen.

9) How does breathing occur in aquatic organisms like fishes?

- Fishes take in water through their mouths and force it past the gills where the
dissolved oxygen is taken up by blood.

10) Rate of breathing is faster in aquatic organisms like fishes than terrestrial
organisms. Why?
-The amount of dissolved oxygen in water is fairly low compared to the amount of oxygen
in the air.
-so fishes breathe faster to ensure that enough oxygen reaches all parts of the body (cells)
for aerobic respiration.

11) List the characteristics of respiratory surfaces/ membranes found in

respiratory organs.
1. Large surface area which is in contact with the oxygen-rich atmosphere → greater rate
of diffusion of respiratory gases.
2. Surface is very fine and delicate → allow easy exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
3. Well protected and placed within the body
4. Richly supplied with blood /blood vessels. -for quick transport of gases.

12) Explain how gaseous exchange / breathing process occur in plants during
respiration
- Plants do gaseous exchange through stomata on leaves or lenticels on woody stems
and roots. The direction of diffusion of gases in plants depends upon the
1. environmental conditions
2. Requirements of the plant.
-At night, when there is no photosynthesis occurring, CO2 elimination is the major
exchange activity going on.
- During the day, CO2 generated during respiration is used up for photosynthesis, and
oxygen release is the major event at this time.

HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

13) How is the nasal passage designed in human beings to filter the air?
-The nasal passage has
❖ fine hairs to filter the air

COMPREHENSIVE QUESTION BANK IN BIOLOGY CLASS X - THE INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI Page 2
 ❖ lining with mucus which helps in this process.

14) Why trachea is made of incomplete / C- shaped rings of cartilage?

-ensure that air passage doesn’t collapse under low air conditions also.

15) Explain the mechanism of breathing

16) What happens to the air passage /bronchus once it enters the lungs?
Within the lungs, the passage divides into smaller and smaller tubes which finally
terminate in balloon-like structures which are called alveoli.

17) How are lungs/alveoli designed to maximize area for gaseous exchange?
1. Highly branched respiratory tract- increased surface area
2. Large number of alveoli
3. Thin wall alveolar membrane having balloon like structure
4. Network of capillaries over the surface of alveoli- help in easy exchange of gases
5. Alveolar wall highly elastic to accommodate maximum gas.

18) Explain the process of gaseous exchange across the alveolar membrane.
The blood brings carbon dioxide from the rest of the body for release into the alveoli, and
the oxygen in the alveolar air is taken up by blood in the alveolar blood vessels to be
transported to all the cells in the body.

19) Define residual volume of air. What is its significance?

During the breathing cycle, when air is taken in and let out, the lungs always contain a
residual volume of air so that there is sufficient time for oxygen to be absorbed and for
the carbon dioxide

20) What is the role of a respiratory pigment in multicellular animals?

Respiratory pigment takes up oxygen from the air in the lungs and carry it to tissues
which are deficient in oxygen before releasing it.

21) Name the respiratory pigment in human beings. Where is it present? What is its
role in respiration?
- Haemoglobin
- Present in the red blood cells
- Due to its high affinity for oxygen, it carries oxygen from lungs to different parts of
body.

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22) Why carbon dioxide is mostly transported in the dissolved form in our blood?
- Carbon dioxide is more soluble in water than oxygen, so easily transported in
dissolved form.

23) Describe the mode of transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide through blood in
humans.

24) Trace the path of air through the human respiratory

system.

25) Draw a labeled diagram showing the parts of human

respiratory system.

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