Bio notes: chapter 11

Respiration: process through which cells of an organism gain energy by combining oxygen
and glucose, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide, water, and ATP. (energy)

Aerobic respiration: process through which oxygen is used to make energy from
carbohydrates. It is the more efficient form of respiration.

How do animals respire?

Unicellular organisms: respire through diffusion. ( large surface area to volume ratio)

Multicellular organisms: special organs to respire such as nostrils and lungs. (small
surface area to volume ratio.)

How does air enter the human body?

The nose —---> the pharynx —---> the larynx —----> the trachea —-----> the bronchioles
—-----> the alveoli (air sacs)

The nose: air enters the body when we breath in through the external nostrils.
The pharynx: routes the air coming in from our nose and mouth down to the larynx.
The larynx: makes the air pass into the trachea (windpipe) so it can reach the lung.
The bronchioles: the trachea divides into two tubes, called bronchioles (bronchi) to connect
to each lung, delivering the air into each part.
The Alveoli: this is where gas exchange happens through the process of diffusion.
Oxygenated blood diffuse inwards, and the deoxygenated blood containing carbon dioxide
diffuses out.

How are lungs adapted for gas exchange, and how does gas
exchange happen?
● Lungs have a lot of alveoli inside of them providing a large surface area allowing gas
exchange to happen in a faster rate.
● Another reason is that alveolar walls are only one cell thick, providing a short
distance for the air to diffuse though.
● The walls of alveoli have many blood vessels and are richly supplied with blood
capillaries, allowing for quick transportation of blood.
● Thin film of moisture cover the alveoli, which allows gases to dissolve so that they
can dissolve quickly, making the process as efficient as possible.

How is oxygen transported around the body?

● High oxygen concentration (lungs): oxygen will bind with haemoglobin forming
oxyhaemoglobin.
 ● Low oxygen concentration (organs) oxyhaemoglobin releases oxygen to respiring
cells.

Breathing:
Taking in air - inhalation, or inspiration
Giving out air - expiration, exhalation

When you inhale:

● The internal intercostal muscles relax and external intercostal muscles contract,
pulling the ribcage upwards and outwards.
● The diaphragm contracts, pulling downwards.
● Lung volume increases and the air pressure decreases
● Air is pushed into the lungs.

When you exhale:

● The external intercostal muscles relax and the internal intercostal muscles contracts,
pulling the ribcage downwards and inwards.
● The diaphragm relaxes, moving back upwards.
● Lung volume decreases and the air pressure inside increases.
● Air is pushed out of the lungs.

The structure of the lungs:

The chest or thoracic wall is supported by the ribs. The ribs are attached from the back to
the vertebral column or the backbone in a way that they can move up and down. The ribs
are attached in the front to the sternum or chest bone. Two sets of muscles called the
internal and external intercostal muscles can be found between the ribs. They are
antagonistic muscles, meaning when one contracts the other relaxes and vice versa.
The thorax is separated from the abdomen by a dome shape sheet of muscle called the
diaphragm. When diaphragm contracts, it goes downwards, when it contracts, it goes
upwards. The intercostal muscles and the diaphragm work together to change the volume
and pressure in the thorax, resulting in ventilation of the lungs.

How does exercise affect breathing?

● Exercising increases the frequency and depth on the breathing
● His can be investigated by counting the breaths taken during one minute at rest and
measuring average chest expansions over 5 breaths using a tape measure around
the chest.
● Following exercise the chest expansion will have increases and so will the breaths
per minute, as the body requires more oxygen to recover from the exercise.