Respiration In Humans Flashcards
What are the 2 types of respiration?
- aerobic
- anaerobic
What is aerobic respiration?
- the breakdown of food substances in the presence of oxygen with the release of a large amount of energy
What are the waste products of aerobic respiration?
- carbon dioxide
- water
Why do complex organisms respire aerobically?
- they need large amounts of energy to survive
What are some examples of energy-consuming processes in organisms?
- synthesis of new protoplasm for growth of repair
- synthesis of proteins from amino acids
- active transport in absorption of food substances by the small intestine
- muscular contractions such as heartbeats and respiratory movements
- transmission of nerve impulses
- cell division
What is some energy released as during respiration?
- heat
What does the heat released during respiration do for the body?
- circulated by the blood around the body to keep the person warm
What is anaerobic respiration?
- breakdown of food substances in the absence of oxygen
What is the difference in the energy released by aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
- less energy released by anaerobic respiration than aerobic respiration
What organisms mainly use anaerobic respiration?
- microorganisms that live in areas where there is little to no oxygen
What happens to muscle cells at first during vigorous muscular contractions?
- they first respire aerobically
Why do we pant after vigorous activity?
- to remove carbon dioxide
- take in oxygen at a faster rate
Why does the heart beat faster during vigorous activity?
- oxygen can be transported to the muscles at a faster rate
What happens when muscular contractions are too vigorous?
- maximum aerobic respiration is unable to release energy fast enough to meet the demand
What happens if the vigorous muscular contractions continue?
- extra energy has to be released
How do muscle cells release extra energy?
- they carry out anaerobic respiration
What is formed when muscle cells carry out anaerobic respiration?
- lactic acid
What happens when there is insufficient oxygen to meet the demands of the vigorous muscular contractions?
- the muscles incur oxygen debt
What happens after the muscles experience oxygen debt?
- the body experiences fatigue and muscular pains
Why is it that even during the period of rest, the breathing rate continues to be fast?
- to provide sufficient oxygen to muscle cells
What happens to the lactic acid in the muscles?
- it is gradually removed from the muscles
Where is the lactic acid transported to after it is removed from the muscles?
- the liver
What happens to lactic acid in the liver?
- it’s oxidised to release energy
Why is the lactic acid oxidised?
- to release energy
What is the energy released from the lactic acid oxidising used for?
- converting remaining lactic acid to glucose
What happens when all the lactic acid has been converted?
- oxygen debt is repaid
What are the parts of the human respiratory system?
- nasal passage
- oral cavity
- pharnyx
- larnyx
- trachea
- bronchi
- lungs
- heart
- ribs
What happens in the nose?
- air enters the body through 2 external nostrils
What are the features of the nose?
- walls of the nostril bear a fringe of hair
- nasal passages lined with moist mucous membrane
What are some advantages of breathing through the nose?
- dust and foreign particles, including bacteria in the air, are trapped by the hairs in the nostrils as well as by mucus on the mucous membrane
- air is moistened and warmed as it passes through the nasal passages
- harmful chemicals may be detected by the small sensory cells in the mucous membrane
