Respiration Flashcards
What are mitochondria?
Tiny rod shaped organelles that release energy from respiration. They have a folded inner membrane, which provides a large SA for the enzymes involved in respiration.
What are the reasons for respirations?
They build up large molecules from smaller ones to make new cell material
(A.A to proteins)
To make muscles contract for movement.
In mammals and birds the energy is used to keep their body temperature constant.
In plants, to build sugars and nitrates and other nutrients into amino acids, which are then built into proteins.
How are muscle tissues adapted for respiration?
Lots of mitochondria for proving energy.
What happens to glycogen during exercise?
Normally your muscles store glucose as the carbohydrate glycogen. But during exercise glycogen can rapidly be converted into glucose for the muscles to use to respire. Some glycogen is stored in the liver btw but each muscle has its own store).
What is aerobic respiration?
The process of releasing energy from the break down of glucose which goes on in every cell in the body. Aerobic is respiration using oxygen.
What happens during exercise?( breathing rate)
Your breathing rate increases and you breathe more deeply and more often, bring more air into your lungs. Consequently more oxygen is brought into your body and picked up by your red blood cells. This oxygen is carried to your exercising muscles. It also means that more carbon dioxide can be removed from the blood in the lungs and breathed out. This means more respiration takes place and more energy is released.
What happens to your heart rate during exercise?
Your heart rate increases and the arteries supplying blood to your muscle dilate. These changes increase the blood flow to your exercising muscles and in turn increases the supply of oxygen and glucose to the muscles. It also increases the rate carbon dioxide is removed from your muscles. This means more respiration takes place and more energy is released
What happens to your needs as you start exercising?
Because more muscles start contracting harder and faster, they need more glucose and oxygen to supply their energy needs. During exercise the muscles also produce an increased amount of CO2. This needs to be removed for the muscles to keep working effectively. The brain detects the increases co2 levels in blood, so pulse and breathing rate stays high to rectify this situation.
What are the benefits of exercise?
Both heart and lungs become larger. So they develop a bigger, more efficient blood supply
A person’s heart rate goes up very quickly during exercise. Is this good?
No, it means they are unfit.
What is anaerobic respiration?
The break down of glucose to release energy without oxygen.
Why is anaerobic respiration bad?
It is not as efficient as aerobic respiration. This is because molecules of glucose are not broken down completely, so far less energy is released.
Furthermore lactic acid can build up, which can be really painful. It also causes muscle fatigue(when muscles get tired and stop contracting efficiently).
What is the advantage of anaerobic energy?
Use muscles for longer.
What is oxygen debt?
The amount of oxygen needed to oxidise the lactic acid to carbon dioxide and water.
This is because you cannot just get rid of lactic acid by breathing it out. So after exercise still need to breathe hard to get more oxygen into your lungs and eventually your blood. The blood flows through your muscles to remove the lactic acid by oxidising it to harmless co2 and water.
(When high levels of co2 and lactic acid are detected in the blood( by the brain) the pulse and breathing rate stays high to rectify this).
Where does respiration occur?
Respiration occurs in the mitochondria.
