RESPIRATION

DEFINITION
USES OF ENERGY
TYPES OF RESPIRATION: AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION
Respiration
• Respiration is a series of chemical reactions that are controlled by
enzymes.
• Occurs in all living cells
• Food is broken down to release energy gradually.
Uses of energy:
• The energy that is released during respiration is used for
• active transport
• moving substances within cells
Respiration cont…
• for building up proteins from amino acids (protein synthesis)
• cell division and growth
• muscle contraction
• transmission of nerve impulses
• maintenance of a constant body temperature
Types of respiration
• There are two types of respiration: Aerobic respiration and
anaerobic respiration.
Aerobic respiration

• Aerobic respiration refers to the chemical reactions in cells that use

oxygen to breakdown nutrient molecules to release energy.
• It is the complete breakdown of glucose to release a relatively large
amount of energy for use in cell processes
• It produces carbon dioxide and water as well as releasing useful
cellular energy
• Occurs in the mitochondria of the cell
Aerobic respiration cont…
• Word equation: glucose + oxygen = carbon dioxide + water + energy
• Balanced chemical equation: C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2 6 CO2 + 6 H2 O
• A lot of energy, 2830 kJ is produced from every molecule of glucose
broken down.
Using up oxygen during respiration
• A respirometer measures the rate of respiration by finding how
quickly oxygen is taken up by respiring organisms e.g. arthropods and
germinating seeds.
Experiment 1: To investigate the uptake of oxygen by respiring germinating seeds.
To investigate the uptake of oxygen by respiring germinating seeds

• Germinating seeds are placed in a test tube.

• The experiment is set up as shown above and is left for about 30
minutes.
• The sodium hydroxide absorbs the carbon dioxide given out, as fast as
the seeds are respiring.
• Potassium hydroxide or soda lime can also be used instead of sodium
hydroxide. So only the uptake of oxygen will affect the amount of air in
the test tube.
• The test tube is kept in a water bath to keep the temperatures
constant.
To investigate the uptake of oxygen by respiring germinating seeds cont…

• A control is set up using boiled seeds.

Result: The coloured oil drop moves quickly at first and then continues
moving but slowly towards the left-hand side and then stops.
• That in the control moves quickly and then stops.
• The distance moved by the drop is longer in the experiment than in
the control.
Interpretation: In both test tubes the drop initially moves fast because
of the absorption of CO2 from the air in the test tube by the sodium
hydroxide, which reduces the total amount of air.
To investigate the uptake of oxygen by respiring germinating seeds cont…

• That in the experiment continues to move but slowly because of further

reduction in the amount of air due to the removal of oxygen used in
respiration.
• That in the control no longer moves because the dead seeds do not respire.
• The drop eventually stops because respiration is no longer occurring since
all the oxygen would have been used up.
• NB: When blow fly larvae or crickets or locusts are used instead of seeds,
the experiment is left for only a short time (10mins) because the process is
faster in these than in germinating seeds.
• So the animals might die of suffocation if kept for too long in the test tube.
To investigate the uptake of oxygen by respiring germinating seeds cont…

• The distance moved due to uptake of oxygen is found by subtracting

the distance moved by the drop in the control from the total distance
moved in the experiment
• The rate of respiration is then calculated using the formula:
Distance moved (by the coloured drop due to oxygen uptake)/Time
taken.
Experiment 2: To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of respiration

• To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of respiration of

germinating seeds the respirometer is set up and the tubes
submerged in a series of water baths set at different temperatures,
e.g. 10OC, 15OC, 20℃, 25℃, 30°C,350C 400C, 450C
• The seeds should be kept in the water bath for some minutes before
collecting data to ensure they get adapted to the temperature and
for the respiration to stabilise.
• Constant variables: type of seed; number of seeds; age of seeds,
time; size of containers used should be the same for all.
Experiment 2: To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of respiration

• Thus all the experiments are identical and all variables are held
constant except for the temperatures
• The rate of respiration is calculated in each case, using the formula
Distance moved/Time taken.
Results: The rate of respiration is slow at low temperatures and
increases almost linearly from 20 to 30oC since enzyme activity rises as
temperature rises.
• A slight drop to 35 0C as denaturation sets in and drastic change from
35 to 450 C as most enzymes have become denatured
A respirometer to investigate uptake of
oxygen by germinating seeds
Experiment 3: Is energy produced during respiration?
Is energy produced during respiration?

• Two sets of soaked seeds are treated as shown in the diagram

• The seeds are washed in dilute disinfectant(e.g. formalin) to kill fungi
or bacteria that might be on them
• The seeds are put into vacuum flasks which are supported upside
down so that seeds are in contact with the thermometer bulbs and so
there is no need to completely fill the flasks with seeds
• The cotton wool plugs are porous and so will allow the carbon dioxide
produced to escape
• The temperature in each flask is recorded after a few days
Is energy produced during respiration?

• Results: The temperature in the flask with the living seeds will be 5–10 °C higher than that
of the dead seeds.
• Interpretation: The temperature rises in the live seeds because respiration gives out
energy.
• The dead seeds in the control did not give out any heat.
• Conclusion: Therefore respiration gives out heat energy.
N.B
• Lime water, a clear, colourless solution turns cloudy/milky when carbon dioxide is present
• Hydrogen carbonate indicator changes colour from red to yellow when carbon dioxide is
present
• Sodium hydroxide absorbs carbon dioxide
ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

• Anaerobic respiration refers to the chemical reactions in cells that

break down nutrient molecules to release energy without using
oxygen.
• Glucose is broken down to release small amounts of energy in the
absence of oxygen.
• Occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell
• Not very efficient since less energy is released.
• Anaerobic respiration occurs in some unicellular fungi, plants and
muscle cells (only for a limited time).
Anaerobic respiration in yeast

• Yeast is a single-celled fungus which can respire anaerobically to

produce alcohol (ethanol), carbon dioxide and energy.
• Word equation: Glucose alcohol (ethanol) + carbon dioxide +
energy
• Balanced chemical equation:
• C6 H12 O6 2C2 H5 O H + 2 CO2.
• Only 118kJ of energy is produced for every molecule of glucose
broken down.
• This type of anaerobic respiration is known as alcoholic fermentation.
EXPERIMENT 4: Does yeast produce carbon dioxide during fermentation?
EXPERIMENT: Does yeast produce carbon dioxide during fermentation? Cont…

• Boiled water is used when making the glucose solution.

• The yeast is added when the solution has cooled to avoid killing it.
• Boiling drives out air from the water to create anaerobic conditions.
• Liquid paraffin is added above the yeast- sugar solution to stop re-entry of
air into the flask.
• Lime water or hydrogen carbonate indicator is put in the second test tube to
test for the presence of carbon dioxide.
• The limewater turns milky indicating the presence of carbon dioxide from
the process of anaerobic respiration in yeast.
 
Anaerobic respiration in muscle cells

• Muscle cells can respire anaerobically when the supply of oxygen is in

short supply e.g. during strenuous exercise.
• Glucose is partly broken down to lactic acid (lactate) and small
quantities of energy are released.
• The energy is enough to keep the overworked muscles going for a
short period.
• Word equation: Glucose lactic acid + little energy
• Balanced chemical equation: C6 H12 O6 2C3 H6 O3
Anaerobic respiration in muscle cells
cont…
• Lactic acid is poisonous when it builds up in muscles; it causes cramps and
makes the person feel tired.
• When the exercise is stopped, the lactic acid is broken down aerobically.
• The amount of oxygen needed to completely oxidize the lactic acid that
builds up in the body during anaerobic respiration is called the oxygen debt.
• (Thus the production of lactic acid shows that the body ‘borrowed’ energy
when oxygen was in short supply, thus an oxygen debt was created).
• The oxygen debt is normally paid up by increased breathing and deeper
breathing
How the oxygen debt is removed.

• The lactic acid in muscles diffuses into the blood and is transported to
the liver to be broken down by aerobic respiration, when oxygen
becomes available.
• After exercise, the fast heart rate continues, in order to transport the
lactic acid in the blood from muscles to the liver
• Also the deeper breathing continues, in order to supply oxygen for
aerobic breakdown of the lactic acid in the liver
• The aerobic respiration of lactic acid in the liver produces energy,
carbon dioxide and water vapour.
• Thus the oxygen debt is paid after the exercise.
Compare aerobic and anaerobic
respiration