7 Living things and air

7.1 Air

A Components of air
⚫ Air is a (1) _______________ of gases.

⚫ It contains (2) _______________ (78%), (3) _______________ (21%),

(4) _______________________ (0.04%), (5) _______________________ (about 0.9%),
variable amounts of water vapour and other gases.

B Tests for oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen

⚫ We can carry out the following tests to test for oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen:

Test for Result of test

Oxygen ⚫ It (6) _______________ a glowing splint.

⚫ It turns hydrogencarbonate indicator from red to (7)

_______________.
Carbon dioxide

⚫ It turns (8) _______________ from colourless to milky.

⚫ It turns dry cobalt chloride paper from

Water
(9) _______________ to (10) _______________.

⚫ There is no simple test for (11) _______________.

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C Properties and uses of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen

⚫ Oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen have some common properties. They are all
(12) _______________ and (13) _______________ gases.

1 Oxygen

⚫ Oxygen (14) _______________ (supports / does not support) burning. It can be mixed with a
fuel gas to produce a flame of very high (15) _______________ for cutting and
(16) _______________ metals.

⚫ Oxygen is essential for the (17) _______________ of humans. It can be used to help patients
with (18) _______________ difficulties.

2 Carbon dioxide

⚫ Carbon dioxide (19) ____________________ (supports / does not support) burning. It is

(20) _______________ (denser / less dense) than air. It is used in some
(21) _______________________ to (22) _______________ the air surrounding the fire and
cut off the (23) ______________ supply.

⚫ Solid carbon dioxide is also called (24) _______________. It is commonly used in stage to
show the effect of dense fog.

3 Nitrogen

⚫ Nitrogen is (25) _______________ (reactive / unreactive). It is used in

(26) _________________________. Replacing the (27) _______________ in food packets
with nitrogen prevents the reaction between the food and oxygen, so the food can be kept (28)
_______________.

⚫ Nitrogen has a very (29) _______________ (high / low) boiling point (–196 °C).
(30) _______________ nitrogen can be used to store living cells at a very low temperature.

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7.2 Photosynthesis

A Process of photosynthesis
⚫ Plants makes their own food by a process called (1) ____________________.
It occurs mainly in the (2) _______________ of a plant. The green leaf cells contain a green
pigment called (3) _______________ inside the chloroplasts.

⚫ Chlorophyll absorbs (4) _______________ energy. The light energy is used to convert
(5) _______________________ and water into food ((6) _______________.

⚫ In photosynthesis, light energy is converted to (7) _______________ energy.

⚫ The word equation of photosynthesis:

light
(8) _____________ + (9) ____________ (10) ____________ + (11) ____________
chlorophyll

⚫ The chemical equation of photosynthesis: Extension

light
(12) ______________ + (13) ______________ C6H12O6 + (14) ______________
chlorophyll

⚫ Glucose produced in plants during photosynthesis can be used immediately or stored as

(15) _______________ for later use.

⚫ (16) _______________ solution is used to test for starch in a green leaf. It turns from
(17) _______________ to (18) _______________ when starch is present.

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⚫ The purposes of the steps in testing for starch in a green leaf:

Step Purpose

1 Boil the leaf in water. Destroy the

boiling (19) ____________________
water
of the leaf cells. This allows
alcohol and iodine solution to
get into the cells.

2 Put the leaf into hot Remove the

(20) _______________. (21) _______________ from

hot water the leaf so that the colour

alcohol
change can be observed.

3 Wash the leaf in hot Remove the remaining

water. alcohol and make the leaf
(22) _______________.
hot water

4 Add iodine solution to Test for

the leaf. (23) _______________.

iodine
solution

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B Necessary factors for photosynthesis
⚫ Before carrying out experiments to find out the factors necessary for photosynthesis, we have
to put the plant in the dark for at least 24 hours. This is called (24) _______________ (脫澱粉).

⚫ To find out whether light is necessary for photosynthesis:

1 Destarch a potted plant.

2 Wrap a part of a green leaf on the potted plant with a piece of

(25) _________________________.

3 Put the destartched plant under sunlight.

4 Carry out iodine test to test for the starch in the leaf.
The part exposed to light turns (26) _______________
while the part covered with the foil remains (27) _______________.

5 Conclusion: (28) _______________ is needed for photosynthesis.

 Skill highlights Control set-up

A control set-up is (29) _______________ to the experimental set-up except that the factor under
investigation is absent.

The photo below shows a leaf for investigating whether chlorophyll is necessary for
photosynthesis. Identify which part of the leaf is the control set-up. Put a ‘✓’ in the correct box.

(30)
wrapped
part 
exposed
part


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⚫ To find out whether chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis:

1 Destarch a potted plant with (31) _______________ leaves

(斑葉). The (32) _______________ (green / non-green) part of

the leaf acts as the control set-up in the experiment.

2 Put the plant under sunlight.

3 Carry out iodine test to test for starch in a leaf.

The (33) _______________ (green / non-green) part of the leaf becomes blue-black.
The (34) _______________ (green / non-green) part remains brown.

4 Conclusion: (35) _______________ is needed for photosynthesis.

⚫ To find out whether carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis:

1 Set up the apparatus as shown. Soda lime (鹼石灰)

light
absorbs the (36) ____________________ in the air.
Leaf (37) _________ (A / B) acts as the control set-
up in the experiment.
A B

2 Put the destarched plant under sunlight.

soda lime
3 Carry out iodine test to test for the presence of
starch in both leaves. Leaf (38) _________ (A / B)
becomes blue-black and leaf (39) _________ (A /
B) remains brown.

4 Conclusion: (40) ____________________ is needed for photosynthesis.

⚫ (41) _______________ is also necessary for photosynthesis. It is difficult to show this by an

experiment because plants will die if we remove all the water from them.

C Significance of photosynthesis to other living things

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1 Providing a source of energy

⚫ When animals (e.g. rabbits) eat plants (e.g. grass), (42) _______________ is transferred from
the grass to the rabbits. When the rabbits are eaten by other animals (e.g. foxes), energy is
(43) _______________ from the rabbits to the foxes.

⚫ As animals depend directly or indirectly on plants as a source of food, photosynthesis provides

a source of (44) _______________ for animals.

⚫ The feeding relationships among living things can be represented by a Extension

(45) _________________________.

⚫ A food chain of grass, rabbits and foxes is as follows: ( means ‘eaten by’)

(46) _______________ (47) _______________ (48) _______________

⚫ In most food chains, plants are the (49) _______________ and animals are the
(50) _______________.

2 Supplying oxygen

⚫ During photosynthesis, (51) _______________ is produced as a by-product (副產品). It is

released into the atmosphere by plants. This gas is important for the survival of living things.

7.3 Respiration
⚫ All living things need (1) _______________ for various body activities. This energy comes
from (2) _______________.

⚫ Food stores (3) _______________ energy. In our body, the chemical energy in food is released
slowly through a series of chemical reactions in our cells. The process is called
(4) _______________ .

⚫ In respiration, (5) _______________ (a gas) is usually needed.

(6) ____________________ (a gas) and (7) _______________ are usually produced.

⚫ The word equation of respiration:

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(8) _______________ + oxygen (9) _______________ + (10) _______________

⚫ The chemical equation of respiration: Extension

(11) _______________ + 6O2 (12) ________________ + (13) ________________

7.4 Gas exchange in plants

⚫ The net (1) _________________________ in plants depends on the relative rate of
photosynthesis and respiration taken place.

⚫ Gas exchange in plants under light and dark conditions:

Under light conditions Under dark conditions

⚫ Rate of (2) _______________ is higher ⚫ (6) _______________ stops

than rate of (3) _______________ ⚫ Only (7) _______________ takes place

⚫ Net uptake of (4) _________________ ⚫ Net uptake of (8) _________________

⚫ Net release of (5) _________________ ⚫ Net release of (9) _________________

Gas exchange through stomata Extension

⚫ Gas exchange in plants is carried out through the (10) _______________ on the leaves.

stomata

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7.5 Gas exchange in animals
⚫ Compared with inhaled air (吸入的空氣), exhaled air (呼出的空氣) :

◆ contains (1) _______________ (more / less) oxygen.

◆ contains (2) _______________ (more / less) carbon dioxide.

◆ contains (3) _______________ (more / less) water vapour.

◆ has a (4) _______________ (higher / lower) temperature.

A Human breathing system

⚫ Major parts of the human breathing system (呼吸系統):

(5)

(6)

(11)
(7)

(8) (12)

(9) (13)

(10) (14)

⚫ Path of air flow when we breathe in:

nostrils (鼻孔) → nasal cavity (鼻腔) → (15) _______________ (氣管) →

(16) _______________ (支氣管) → (17) _______________ (小支氣管) (in lungs)
→ air sacs (氣囊) (in lungs)

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⚫ In humans, gas exchange takes place at the (18) _______________, which are covered with
(19) _______________ (微血管).

⚫ The (20) _______________ protect the lungs. The actions of the (21) _______________
muscles (肋間肌) and (22) _______________ (橫膈膜) bring about breathing.

B Gas exchange in air sacs Extension

⚫ Gas exchange in the air sac:

carbon dioxide
oxygen
blood to other
parts of the body
blood from other air sac
parts of the body

(25) ____________________
(23) _______________ passes passes from the blood in the
from the air sac into the blood capillaries into the air sac and
in the capillary and is carried to leaves the body when we
cells around the body for breathe out.
(24) _______________.

C Effects of smoking on gas exchange Extension

⚫ The trachea and the lung tissue in the lungs of a smoker darken because of the
(26) _______________ (焦油) in the cigarette smoke.

⚫ Smoking reduces the (27) _______________ of gas exchange.

⚫ Match the chemicals in cigarette smoke with their effects on gas exchange:

Chemical Effect
I Tar a Reduces the oxygen-carrying i Less oxygen can enter the
ability of blood blood
II Carbon monoxide b Covers the surface of the air ii Reduces surface area for
(一氧化碳) sacs gas exchange
III Other chemicals c Causes the walls of the air sacs
to break down

I: (28) _______ , _______ II: (29) _______ , _______ III: (30) _______ , _______

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D Effects of smoking on our health
⚫ (31) _______________ (尼古丁) in cigarette smoke is addictive (使人上癮的).

⚫ Smoking causes many diseases such as (32) _______________ (中風),

(33) ____________________ (肺癌) and (34) ____________________ (心臟病).

7.6 Balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in

Nature

A Natural balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide

⚫ The natural balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere:

(1) _________________ taken up by plants

releases for carrying out

(4) _________________ (2) _________________

taken up by animals releases

and plants for carrying out (3) _________________

B Disrupting the balance of carbon dioxide

⚫ The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has (5) _______________ sharply in the last
hundreds of year.

⚫ Some human activities, such as burning (6) _______________________ and clearing

(7) _______________, are disrupting (擾亂) the (8) _______________ of carbon dioxide in
Nature.

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C Effects of increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere on environment
⚫ Some gases in the atmosphere trap (9) _________________________ in the atmosphere and
help keep the Earth warm. This natural phenomenon is called the (10) ___________________
______________ (温室效應).

⚫ The gases that trap thermal energy are called (11) _________________________ (温室氣體).

⚫ Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. The increasing amount of carbon dioxide

(12) _______________ the greenhouse effect. This causes the average temperatures of the
Earth to (13) _______________. This is known as (14) _______________________ (全球暖化).

⚫ Some possible effects of global warming:

◆ Living things at the (15) _______________ regions lose their habitats and die.
◆ (16) _______________ of low-lying areas.
◆ Unusual (17) _________________________, e.g. more typhoons and droughts.

7.7 Air quality

⚫ Burning fossil fuels gives out large amounts of (1) _________________________ (空氣污染物).

⚫ The effects of air pollutants on health:

Air pollutant Effect on health

Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen ⚫ (2) _______________ the eyes, throats and lungs
oxides and ozone ⚫ Worsen (3) _______________ (支氣管炎) and asthma (哮喘)

⚫ Reduces the (4) _______________________ ability of

Carbon monoxide
blood and causes dizziness (頭暈) and headaches.

⚫ Irritate the lungs

Carbon particles
⚫ Worsen bronchitis and (5) _______________

Lead particles ⚫ Adversely affect brain functions

⚫ The (6) ______________________________________ (AQHI) tells the public the possible

health risks caused by air pollutants and help them take precautionary measures.

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