Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 1

Topic 11 Gas exchange in human

Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NUxvJS-_0k

1 Why gas exchange?

Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzrN6sJ1i_g up to 1:50

(a) Name the process that takes place in the cell which uses up oxygen and produces carbon dioxide.
Aerobic respiration

(b) Write a word equation for this process.

Aerobic respiration takes place in the mitochondria and requires oxygen and glucose, and
produces carbon dioxide, water, and energy. 

(c) In which organ does human obtain oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.
lungs

(d) Name the structure in the lungs where gas exchange takes place.
alveoli

(e) State the direction of movement of oxygen.

From alveoli to the blood in the capillaries

(f) State the direction of movement of carbon dioxide.

From blood in the capillaries to the air in the alveoli

(g) Name the process by which oxygen and carbon dioxide move in and out from the capillary.
Gas exchange

(h) Briefly explain why diffusion can also occur across the cell membrane for some molecules.

(i) Use your understanding of diffusion to explain why oxygen always move from the alveolar space into
the blood.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 2

A large diffusion gradient is that breathing ensure that the oxygen concentration int eh alveoli
is higher than in the capillaries so oxygen moves from the alveoli to the blood.
2 Respiratory system
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fVoz4V75_E

(a) Fill in the blanks with the name of the structure to show the pathway taken by air to travel from nose
to the alveoli. Use information from the video and diagram above.
Nasal cavity  larynx  trachea  lung  bronchus  alveoli

(b) Label the following structures. Most of the words are the same as the ones given above.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 3

Nostril

Mouth
Intercoastal
muscles
pharynx
ribs

Ple… Th…
trachea

Alveoli
bronchus

Diaphragm
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 4

(c) Trachea and cartilage

Why C–shaped cartilage?

1. C–shaped cartilage keeps the trachea open all the time so that trachea won’t collapse and stop the
person from breathing.

2. C-shaped piece of cartilage can change shape and allow the trachea to expand during breathing.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 5

Why a circular cartilage is not good?

Circular cartilage stops the trachea from collapsing,
However the trachea is not allowed to expand.
When we breathe in, the trachea must expand to allow more air in.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 6

(d) Alveolus
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B44n2SMLv-s from 1:07 to 3:16
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzrN6sJ1i_g from 1:50 to 2:19

Complete the following table by cut and paste the correct adaptation
Some of the answers can be used twice.

Maintain the steep concentration gradient of oxygen and carbon dioxide for efficient diffusion
Gases can first dissolve in water first before diffusion
Minimise diffusion distance
More surface for gas exchange

Feature How is it adapted for efficient gas exchange?

Large surface area
(small in size + large number of
alveoli)
Network of capillaries around
each alveolus
One cell thick (both capillary and
cells lining the alveolus)
Moist surface of alveolus
Ventilation with air
Circulation of blood/ good blood
supply
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 7

(e) Movement of gases

What is meaning of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood?

Your answer must be in terms of the composition of the gases.
Oxygenated blood
Arterial blood carries oxygen from inhaled air to the tissues of the body, and
venous blood carries carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism produced by cells, from
the tissues to the lungs to be exhaled.
Deoxygenated blood
Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium from the vena cava, blood moves into right
ventricle, blood is pumped into the pulmonary artery, the pulmonary artery
carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

(f) Goblet cells and ciliated cells form the lining of the trachea and bronchi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miEEluVlemQ
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 8

Fill in the blanks with the correct word, using information from the diagram above.
Goblet cell produces mucus that traps dust and pathogens
Ciliated cell has beat that sweeps mucus up the trachea

3 Composition of inhaled and exhaled air

Inhaled air and exhaled air differs in a number of ways.

Water
vapour

Oxygen Carbon dioxide Nitrogen Water vapour Temperature

Inhaled air
(before it enters 21% 0.04% 78% Variable Variable
the body)
Exhaled air
(released from 16% 4% 78% Saturated 37°C
out body)

(a) Which gas is present in smaller amount in exhaled air? What is the reason?
[Hint: think about the name of the process that uses up this gas]

(b) Which gas is present in larger amount in exhaled air? What is the reason?
[Hint: think about the name of the process that produces this gas]

(c) Which gas is present almost the same amount in both inhaled and exhaled air? What is the reason?
[Hint: does the body need this gas?]
Nitrogen

(d) Which one, inhaled or exhaled air, usually has a higher temperature?
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 9

(e) Which one, inhaled or exhaled air, contains more water vapour?
exhaled air

Why does it contain more water vapour? [Hint: think about the surface of alveolus]
Less oxygen and more carbon dioxide than the inhaled air, are completely saturated with water,
contains maximum amount of moisture and therefore has a relative humidity of 100% and we lose
water as we breathe.

(f) Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9owF8AMR3J8

Oxygen is a gas that supports burning or combustion.
What conclusion can you draw from this video about inhaled (atmospheric) and exhaled air?

(g) Limewater can be used to test for the presence of carbon dioxide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR6GsydYUSI

As the person breathes out, exhaled air is bubbled through the limewater.
What did you observe? What can you conclude about the composition of exhaled air?

(h) Another way to test for carbon dioxide in exhaled air is to use hydrogencarbonate/ bicarbonate
indicator. Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9A1Ui4LITU

What did you observe about the colour change?

Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 10

Yellow – more CO2 than atmospheric air

Purple – less CO2 than atmospheric air
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 11

4 Mechanism of breathing
(a) Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gsjFZkMErY
Pause the video at 1:45 and complete the following table using information from the video.
Name of structure involved in breathing Function
Rib(cage) Bones that protect and ventilate the lungs
Intercoastal muscles Move ribs for ventilation (breathing)
Diaphragm Sheet of muscle which is domes; it helps make
breathing movements and separates the thorax from
the abdomen

(b) Some simple physics ideas will be useful in understanding the mechanism of breathing.
The relationship between pressure and volume can be illustrated using Boyle’s law
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZSajBakGK4

(i) When a finger is placed over the nozzle with the plunger pushed towards the balloon, what happens
to the size or volume of the balloon?
When you put your finger over the nozzle, you prevent any air from entering or leaving the
syringe. Because the air cannot escape from inside the syringe, when you then try to push
in the plunger, the air inside the plunger is compressed into a smaller volume

(ii) When a finger is placed over the nozzle with the plunger pulled away from the balloon, suggest
what would happen to the size or volume of the balloon?

(iii) In proper scientific language, we said that volume inversely varies with pressure.
Complete the following sentences.
As pressure increases, volume decreases
As pressure decreases, volume increases

(c) Continue watching the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gsjFZkMErY from 1:45 onwards

Watch the animation http://www.abpischools.org.uk/topic/breathingandasthma/5/1
Complete the table below to show how the lungs alter the air pressure of the thorax.
Breathing in – air rushed in Breathing out – air is forced out
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 12

Ribcage moves upwards and outwards and Ribcage moves downwards and inwards and
diaphragm contracts, pulling downwards diaphragm relaxes, moving back upwards
Volume in the thorax increases Volume in the thorax decreases
So pressure in the thorax decreased So pressure in the thorax increases

(d) Model of respiratory system

How to construct? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oMFAMqSlq4
How it works? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAR9Ne57Cl4

Identify the part of the respiratory system the model represents. The first one has been done for you.
Part in the
trachea bronchi lungs diaphragm Chest cavity
respiratory system
Plastic sheet at Plastic
Part in the model straw Y shaped straw Balloon
the bottom container

(f) The model is not 100% accurate. The limitations are as follows.
1 Our respiratory system is controlled by the brain, not by pulling the plastic sheets up and down
manually
2 The diaphragm muscle contracts and flattens as we breathe in. In the model, the plastic sheet is
pulled down, not just flattened
3 The presence of ribs and intercoastal muscles are not shown in the model.
4 The thoracic cavity increases in volume as we breathe in, but the volume inside the plastic
container does not change since it cannot be expanded.

(g) Muscles involved in breathing (*difficult concept)

As diaphragm muscle contracts, it flattens. When it relaxes, the muscle returns to its dome shaped.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 13

The following picture shows the side view of the ribcage.

Spine and sternum does not move. The ribs can move upwards or downwards, depending on which
type of intercoastal muscles (internal or external) contract.

External and internal intercoastal muscles are arranged in an oblique manner, as shown below.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 14

Movement of ribcage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QyU9hyHRM

External intercoastal muscles contract/shorten to pull the ribcage outwards and upwards.
Conversely, internal intercoastal muscles contract to pull the ribcage inwards and downwards.

This is an optional video in Cantonese (I tried to look up something in English but not available)
https://vms.oupchina.com.hk/streaming.php?b=MASCI_2Danimation0701_rib_cage_e
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 15

External and internal intercoastal muscles work in an antagonistic manner, ie their actions oppose each
other. There are many antagonistic muscle pairs in our body. When one contracts, the other relaxes,
and vice versa.

Complete the following summary. This is a good way to structure your answer in an exam.
Breathing in = inhalation = inspiration Breathing out = exhalation = expiration

External intercostal
contract relax
muscles
Internal intercostal
relax Contract
muscles
Rib cage move upwards and outwards Downwards and inwards
Diaphragm contracts and flattens Relaxes, moving backupwards
Volume inside thorax Increases decreases
Pressure inside thorax Decreases increases
Movement of air Air rushes in Air rushes out
(h) Changes in volume and pressure inside the lungs during inhalation and exhalation
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 16

The lung volume (red line) increases as we inhale, reaching a peak value just before we start exhaling
Exhaling reduces the volume to the original value before inhalation starts again.

Recall the fact that volume and pressure vary inversely with each other.
When volume increases, pressure decreases. When volume decreases, pressure increases.
This is shown in the blue line representing the pleural pressure.
Just before inhalation begins, the pleural pressure is at its maximum value (yellow circle)
At the end of inhalation, the pleural pressure reaches the minimum (orange circle)
Exhalation will increase the pressure gradually from the minimum value to its maximum.

The diagram shows changes in air pressure inside the lungs during a complete cycle of breathing.
Atmospheric pressure is 101 kPa. Complete the table below the events at A, B, C and D. Some entries
have been done for you. Simply copy and paste and change a few words.

Letter Event
A Pressure starts to become larger than the atmospheric pressure.
The person starts to breathe out. Ribs are beginning to be lowered.
B Highest pressure in the lungs = the ribs are at its lowest possible position.
The ribcage is gradually returning to its original position.
C
D
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 17

5 Physical activity, rate and depth of breathing

Rate of breathing is the number of breaths per minute
Depth of breathing is the volume of air breathed in or out in each breath

The horizontal distance from one trough to another is 4s.

This corresponds to the time between 2 breaths.
Rate of breathing = 60 / 4 = 15 breaths/ minute
The vertical distance from crest to trough is 0.5 dm3
Depth of breathing = 0.5 dm3
Total volume of air breathed in per minute
= 15 x 0.5 = 7.5 dm3/minute

When a person starts exercising, both the rate and depth of breathing increase because the muscle cells
need more energy from respiration, using up more oxygen and releasing more carbon dioxide.
Calculate the new rate and depth of breathing.
Rate of breathing =

Depth of breathing =

Total volume of air breathed in per minute =

How does the body know when to increase the rate and depth of breathing?
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3pf9q93_E4

Use information from the video and the diagram to

answer the following questions

(i) Name the part in the brain that regulates the

rate of breathing.
Medulla
(ii) What changes do chemoreceptors detect?
Particular chemoreceptors, called ASICs,
detect the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.
To do this, they monitor the concentration of
hydrogen ions in the blood, which decrease the
pH of the blood

(ii) Complete the following sentences.

High levels of carbon dioxide are detected by
blood. Signals are sent from phrenic nerves to the
diaphragm and rib intercostal muscle to increase the
rate of ….. so that ….. gases can be exchanged.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 18

This causes the level of carbon dioxide in the

blood to …..

6 Summary exercise
You may review all the information in this short video again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B44n2SMLv-s

Click on the link and do ALL the quizzes in the animation

http://www.footprints-science.com/index.php?module=1&type=Alveoli&section=Section1&info=9

Multiple choice questions

1 The diagram shows a gaseous exchange surface (alveolus) and part of a nearby capillary.

What would increase the rate of absorption of oxygen into the capillary?
A increasing the thickness of alveolus wall
B increasing the surface area of alveolus wall
C lowering the concentration of oxygen in the alveolus
D lowing down the rate of breathing

2 Which features are present in gaseous exchange surfaces?

A B C D
large surface area ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔
moist ✔ ✘ ✔ ✔
thick walls ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔

3 Which route is taken by air passing into the lungs of a human?

A alveolus → trachea → bronchus B bronchus → trachea → alveolus
C trachea → alveolus → bronchus D trachea → bronchus → alveolus

4 What happens to the depth and rate of breathing during increased physical activity?
A B C D
depth decrease decrease increase increase
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 19

rate decrease increase decrease increase

5 The diagram shows the exchange of gases during breathing and during respiration in the body.

What is represented by X and by Y?

A B C D
X lungs lungs body cells body cells
Y air body cells air lungs

6 From the graph, when did the person begin a period of vigorous exercise after resting?

7 The diagram shows changes in air pressure inside the lungs during a complete cycle of breathing.
Atmospheric pressure is 101 kPa.
Which position on the graph marks the point at which the ribs are beginning to be raised?

8 The percentage composition of three gases in atmospheric air is as follows

oxygen 21% carbon dioxide 0.04% nitrogen 78%
What is the composition of the air breathed out by a person?
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 20

A B C D
oxygen / % 5 16 21 78
carbon dioxide / % 73 4 0.04 2
nitrogen / % 20 78 78 20

9 The diagram shows some ciliated cells from the trachea.

What is the function of the parts labelled X?

A detecting stimuli B exchanging gases
C moving mucus D trapping bacteria

10 Label all parts in the respiratory system. Some hints have been given to the difficult ones.
Number Name of structure
1 Nostril
2 mouth
3 Voice box
4
5 Right main bronchus
6 diaphragm
7 larynx
8 trachea
9 Left main bronchus
10 (Terminal) bronchi
11 alveoli

11 Name the three muscles A, B and C shown below that are involved in breathing in and out.
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 21

Structured questions with hints

2010 Nov Paper 32 Q3(b)(c)

Some students investigated the breathing of a 16-year old male athlete. The graph on the left shows the
pattern of his breathing for 60 seconds when resting. The graph on the left shows the pattern of his breathing
while he took some exercise for 60 seconds.

(b) The following shows a summary of the results obtained by the students.
Use the information from the graph on the right to complete the missing entries in the table. [3]

breathing at rest breathing during exercise

volume of air breathed in with each breath / dm 3
0.5
rate of breathing / number of breaths per minute 11
volume of air breathed in per minute / dm3 5.5

(c) Explain the effect of exercise on the student’s breathing. [5]

[Hint: describe the changes in rate and depth of breathing, then talk about which part of the body controls
breathing and how it changes the breathing pattern, details on page 13]
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 22

2012 Nov Paper 31 Q3

The ribcage and diaphragm are involved in the breathing mechanism to ventilate the lungs.
Fig. 3.1 is a flow chart that shows the changes that take place when breathing in.

(a) Complete Fig. 3.1 by writing appropriate words in the spaces provided.
[6]
Topic 11 Gas exchange in human 23

2005 May Paper 3 Q3

The diagram on the left shows structures in the human thorax.
The diagram on the right shows some cells from the lining of the bronchus.

(a) Complete the table by identifying parts A, B and C and describing their roles in breathing in. [6]
Name Role in breathing in
ribs The ribs protect the lungs and expand as we inhale to
facilitate space for the lungs to expand like the
A
diaphragm. The ribs then contract expelling the air in
the lung
Intercostal muscle The intercostal muscles are mainly involved in the
mechanical aspect of breathing. These muscles help
B
expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity to
facilitate breathing.
Diaphragm When the diaphragm contracts and moves lower, the
chest cavity enlarges, reducing the pressure inside the
lungs. To equalize the pressure, air enters the lungs.
C When the diaphragm relaxes and moves back up, the
elasticity of the lungs and chest wall pushes air out of
the lungs.

(b) (i) Explain how these cells help to keep the bronchus free from dust and bacteria. [4]
[Hint: read through section 2 to find out the functions of these cells]