Respiration And Breathing Flashcards
Respiration
The process that releases energy from this food
The equation for respiration in words is
Glucose + oxygen -) carbon dioxide + water + energy
Aerobic respiration
Needs oxygen to release energy from food
Anaerobic respiration
Does not use oxygen to release energy from food
How does oxygen get to our cells
Oxygen is carried by the haemoglobin in red blood cells to all other cells of the body
Example of anaerobic respiration
Yeast converts sugars to alcohol in fermentation - this produces alcohol for drinks such as beer or wine
Nose
We are supposed to inhale through are nose The reasons for doing
this are: Hairs and mucus trap dirt particles and bacteria in the nose. Air is warned and moistened as it passes through the nose warm and moist air helps oxygen to pass from the lungs into the bloodstream more easily.
Trachea
The trachea, or windpipe, carries air to and from the lungs. It is made of C-shaped rings of rigid
cartilage (to prevent it from collapsing).
Bronchus and bronchioles
We have two bronchi. Each bronchus carries air between the trachea and a lung. The two
bronchi subdivide many times to form tiny tubes called bronchioles. Bronchioles carry air to and
from the air-sacs, or alveoli.
Alveolus
Each lung contains millions of tiny air-sacs called alveoli.
The function of each alveolus is gas exchange:
Oxygen passes from the air in the alveolus into the blood
vessels
At the same time carbon dioxide and water pass from the
blood vessels into each alveolus
The gases pass in each direction by a process called diffusion.
As an adaptation for diffusion each alveolus has a very thin
lining, is moist and is surrounded by many tiny blood vessels
called capillaries. For more on diffusion see chapter 13 in
Chemical World.
Diaphragm
The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that forms the base of the chest. Along with the ribs and
intercostal muscles (located between the ribs) the diaphragm causes air to move into or out
of the lungs.
