CHAPTER 11

RESPIRATION AND GAS EXCHANGE

1 Look at the equation for aerobic respiration (either the word equation, or the balanced equation).
How does this compare with the equation for photosynthesis, which you learnt in Chapter 6?
ANS. The reactants in aerobic respiration are the products of photosynthesis. The reactants in
photosynthesis are the products of aerobic respiration.
2.In which cells in your body does respiration happen?
ANS. every cell
3 In respiration, energy is released from glucose. Think back to your earlier work, and explain how
the energy became incorporated into the glucose molecules.
ANS. During photosynthesis, chlorophyll captured energy from sunlight and transferred it to
glucose molecules.
4 List, in order, all of the structures that a molecule of oxygen passes through as it moves from the
air, down into the lungs, and into the blood.
ANS. mouth or nose; trachea; bronchi; bronchioles; alveoli; wall of alveolus; wall of capillary;
5 In Figure 11.6, look carefully at the arrows showing the movement of oxygen into the blood, and
carbon dioxide out of the blood. Apart from going in different directions, what other difference can
you see between them? Explain this difference.
ANS.The arrow for oxygen goes into a red blood cell, because oxygen is transported in combination
with haemoglobin in red blood cells. The arrow for carbon dioxide comes from the blood plasma,
because most carbon dioxide is transported in solution in the plasma.
6 Look at Figure 11.6 again. Some of the movement indicated by the arrows is mass flow, where a
lot of air all moves in the same direction. Some of the movement is by diffusion, where individual
molecules move randomly. Which arrows represent which type of movement?
ANS. The arrows in the bronchiole represent mass f low. The arrows showing carbon dioxide and
oxygen moving into and out of the blood represent diffusion.
7 People who smoke cigarettes often develop an illness called emphysema, where the walls of the
alveoli break down. Instead of having millions of tiny air spaces in their lungs, they have fewer
larger ones. Predict how this might affect the person’s ability to do exercise. Explain your prediction.
ANS. Emphysema results in a reduction of the surface area of the alveoli, and so less oxygen is able
to diffuse into the blood in a given time. This reduces the oxygen supply to cells, which therefore
cannot undergo aerobic respiration as rapidly, and cannot release as much energy, as normal. The
person may therefore find it difficult to exercise.
8 Suggest why the quantity of water vapour in expired air is always high.
ANS. The inner surface of the alveoli is moist. Water from this surface evaporates and is breathed
out with the expired air.
9 Nitrogen is soluble in water, and molecules of nitrogen gas can pass easily through cell
membranes. Body cells cannot use nitrogen gas. Inspired air contains about 78% nitrogen. Predict
the percentage of nitrogen in expired air and explain your prediction.
ANS. The percentage is 78%. As nitrogen gas is not used in the body, the nitrogen concentration in
the blood remains the same as in the air in the lungs, because nitrogen molecules diffuse between the
air and blood until equilibrium is reached.
10 Construct a table to show what the diaphragm, external intercostal and internal intercostal
muscles do when you are breathing in, and when you are breathing out.
1C;2C;3B;4B;5C;

6 a glucose + oxygen [1]; ➞ carbon dioxide + water [1] ;

b Any three from: • muscle contraction ; • cell division ; • active transport ; • growth ;
• passage of nerve impulses ; • maintenance of a constant body temperature ;
c ethanol [1] ; carbon dioxide [1] ;
7 A girl breathed into apparatus that recorded the volume of air she breathed in and out. The results
were recorded as a graph of volume against time. The graphs below show the results obtained when
she was resting and when she was exercising.
a Use the first graph to find:
i how many breaths per minute the girl took while she was resting [1]
ii the volume of the first breath she took while she was resting. [1]
b Use the second graph to find:
i how many breaths per minute she took while exercising [1]
ii the volume of the second breath she took while exercising. [1]
c Explain how the brain was involved in the change in the girl’s breathing when she exercised.
d Explain how these changes in her breathing helped the girl to do the exercise.
7 ANS. a i 12 ;
ii 0.5 dm3 ;
b i 21 ;
ii 1.1 dm3 ;
c • brain senses the pH of blood ; • pH decreases during exercise ;
• because more, carbon dioxide / lactic acid, is dissolved in the blood plasma ;
• brain responds by sending more frequent impulses to the breathing muscles ;
• so, they contract harder and more frequently ;
d • muscles need more energy for contraction ; • deeper / more rapid, breathing brings more fresh air
into the lungs ; • more oxygen can diffuse into the blood more quickly ; • more oxygen is supplied to
the muscles ; • so aerobic respiration can happen faster ; • releasing more energy from glucose ;
8 a Copy and complete the table, to summarise what happens during breathing.

i Calculate how long it took, after he finished exercising, for his breathing rate to return to normal.
[1]
ii Explain why the learner’s breathing rate did not return to normal immediately after exercise
stopped.
b i 5 minutes ;
ii reference to oxygen debt ; anaerobic respiration in muscles ; produced lactic acid ;
(lactic acid) broken down in liver by, aerobic respiration / combining with oxygen .
9 The figure below is an electron micrograph of part of a cell.

a i Give the letter of the label that indicates a ribosome.

ii. Give the letter of the label that indicates a mitochondrion.
iii Explain why it is not possible to determine whether this cell is from an animal or from a plant.
b. Name and describe the metabolic reaction that happens inside mitochondria.
c. Suggest why each of the following cell types contains large quantities of mitochondria.
i muscle cells
ii cells in the pancreas that produce enzymes
d Red blood cells do not contain mitochondria. Suggest a reason for this.
9 ans. a i D ;
ii C
iii • all structures that are visible are found in both animal and plant cells ;
• cannot see the edge of the cell so do not know if it has a cell wall ;
• no chloroplasts visible but this does not mean it is not a plant cell ;
• no large vacuole visible but this does not mean it is not a plant cell ;
b aerobic respiration ;
glucose combined with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water and release energy .
c i to provide energy for contraction ;
ii to provide energy for protein synthesis ;
d function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen ; having no mitochondria means they will not
use up oxygen in aerobic respiration ;