Year 7 Biology: Respiration

What is Respiration?

Respiration is a process that takes place in all living things. It is how we convert food into energy. This energy is essential for everything we do, like moving, growing, and even thinking!

Why is Respiration Important?

1. Energy Production: Respiration helps us get energy from our food.
2. Life Processes: It powers all the activities of living organisms.
3. Heat Production: Respiration also produces heat, which helps keep our bodies warm.

How Does Respiration Work?

Respiration can be divided into two main types: Aerobic Respiration and Anaerobic Respiration.

Aerobic Respiration

• Definition: This type uses oxygen to break down glucose (sugar) to produce energy.
• Equation: The basic formula for aerobic respiration is: $$\text{Glucose} + \text{Oxygen} \rightarrow \text{Carbon Dioxide} + \text{Water} + \text{Energy}$$
• Example: When you eat an apple, your body breaks down the sugar in the apple using oxygen to produce energy for your muscles.

Anaerobic Respiration

• Definition: This type occurs without oxygen. It is less efficient and produces less energy.
• Equation: The formula for anaerobic respiration in humans is: $$\text{Glucose} \rightarrow \text{Lactic Acid} + \text{Energy}$$
• Example: When you run very fast, your body might not get enough oxygen, so it uses anaerobic respiration, leading to a build-up of lactic acid in your muscles, which can make them sore.

Key Points to Remember

1. Energy Source: Respiration is how we get energy from food.
2. Types: Aerobic uses oxygen, while anaerobic does not.
3. Products: Aerobic produces carbon dioxide and water, while anaerobic produces lactic acid.

Tips and Tricks

• Think of Respiration as Breathing: While breathing brings oxygen into your body for aerobic respiration, the process of respiration itself is about energy production.
• Visualize the Process: Draw a diagram showing how glucose and oxygen enter cells and how energy is produced.
• Relate to Daily Life: Consider how you feel when you run (anaerobic) versus when you play sports at a steady pace (aerobic).

Questions About Respiration

Easy Level Questions

1. What is respiration?
2. What do we get from respiration?
3. Name one type of respiration.
4. What does aerobic respiration use?
5. What does anaerobic respiration produce in humans?
6. Why do we need energy?
7. What type of energy do we get from food?
8. What do we breathe in to help with respiration?
9. What gas is produced during aerobic respiration?
10. Where does respiration happen in our bodies?
11. Name one food that gives you energy.
12. What happens to your muscles when you use anaerobic respiration?
13. How do plants respire?
14. What do we breathe out?
15. What is glucose?
16. Why is oxygen important in aerobic respiration?
17. What is lactic acid?
18. Can you name a sport where anaerobic respiration might happen?
19. Does respiration happen in all living things?
20. What do we call the energy currency of our cells?

Medium Level Questions

1. Describe the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
2. Write the equation for aerobic respiration.
3. What are the products of anaerobic respiration in yeast?
4. Why is aerobic respiration more efficient than anaerobic respiration?
5. In which conditions does anaerobic respiration occur?
6. How does exercise affect respiration?
7. Explain why you might feel tired after intense exercise.
8. What role does the mitochondria play in respiration?
9. Describe the process of respiration in plants.
10. How do animals and plants exchange gases during respiration?
11. Why do we need to breathe out carbon dioxide?
12. What is the relationship between respiration and photosynthesis?
13. How does your body adjust respiration during different activities?
14. What happens to the lactic acid after you stop exercising?
15. Why do you think it’s important to have both types of respiration?
16. What role does glucose play in respiration?
17. Can you name a type of anaerobic respiration other than in humans?
18. What happens to your heart rate during exercise?
19. Explain how breathing relates to respiration.
20. How does respiration help in maintaining body temperature?

Hard Level Questions

1. Explain the full process of aerobic respiration including all steps.
2. What are the consequences of anaerobic respiration for muscles?
3. Describe the role of enzymes in respiration.
4. Compare aerobic respiration in animals and plants.
5. Why do athletes train to improve aerobic capacity?
6. Discuss how respiration contributes to the carbon cycle.
7. What is the role of oxygen debt in anaerobic respiration?
8. Explain how fermentation is a type of anaerobic respiration.
9. What adaptations do organisms have for respiration in low oxygen environments?
10. How does the body cope with increased carbon dioxide levels during intense exercise?
11. Discuss the importance of respiration in ecosystems.
12. How do different temperatures affect the rate of respiration?
13. Explain how respiration can be measured in living organisms.
14. What is the relationship between respiration and energy transfer in cells?
15. How does respiration rate change with age?
16. What impact does exercise have on respiratory and circulatory systems?
17. Describe how lactic acid can be removed from the body after exercise.
18. How do plants adapt their respiration during the night?
19. Discuss how pollution can affect respiration in living organisms.
20. Explain the potential long-term effects of anaerobic respiration on human health.

Answers and Explanations

Easy Level Answers

1. Respiration is the process of converting food into energy.
2. We get energy from respiration.
3. One type of respiration is aerobic respiration.
4. Aerobic respiration uses oxygen.
5. Anaerobic respiration produces lactic acid in humans.
6. We need energy to perform all activities.
7. The type of energy we get from food is chemical energy.
8. We breathe in oxygen.
9. The gas produced during aerobic respiration is carbon dioxide.
10. Respiration happens in our cells.
11. An example of an energy-giving food is an apple.
12. Your muscles can become sore due to lactic acid.
13. Plants respire through tiny openings called stomata.
14. We breathe out carbon dioxide.
15. Glucose is a type of sugar that provides energy.
16. Oxygen is important in aerobic respiration because it helps break down glucose.
17. Lactic acid is a substance that can cause muscle soreness.
18. Running is a sport that can use anaerobic respiration.
19. Yes, respiration happens in all living things.
20. The energy currency of our cells is ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

Medium Level Answers

1. Aerobic respiration uses oxygen and produces more energy, while anaerobic respiration does not use oxygen and produces less energy.
2. The equation for aerobic respiration is $$\text{Glucose} + \text{Oxygen} \rightarrow \text{Carbon Dioxide} + \text{Water} + \text{Energy}$$ .
3. Anaerobic respiration in yeast produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.
4. Aerobic respiration is more efficient because it produces more energy per glucose molecule.
5. Anaerobic respiration occurs in low oxygen conditions.
6. Exercise increases respiration to supply more oxygen and energy to muscles.
7. You feel tired due to the build-up of lactic acid in your muscles.
8. Mitochondria are the “powerhouses” of cells where aerobic respiration occurs.
9. Plants respire by using glucose and oxygen to produce energy, just like animals.
10. Animals and plants exchange gases through respiration and photosynthesis.
11. We need to breathe out carbon dioxide to remove waste from our body.
12. Respiration and photosynthesis are opposite processes; photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, and respiration produces it.
13. Your body increases respiration rate during exercise to supply more oxygen.
14. After stopping exercise, lactic acid gets converted back to glucose or is used in other processes.
15. Having both types of respiration allows organisms to survive in different conditions.
16. Glucose is broken down during respiration to release energy.
17. Alcoholic fermentation is a type of anaerobic respiration that occurs in yeast.
18. Your heart rate increases to pump more blood during exercise.
19. Breathing brings oxygen in and removes carbon dioxide, which is essential for respiration.
20. Respiration helps maintain body temperature by generating heat from energy produced.

Hard Level Answers

1. Aerobic respiration involves glycolysis (breaking down glucose), the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain, producing a large amount of ATP.
2. Anaerobic respiration can result in muscle fatigue and soreness due to lactic acid build-up.
3. Enzymes speed up the chemical reactions involved in respiration.
4. In animals, aerobic respiration produces lactic acid, while in plants it produces ethanol and carbon dioxide.
5. Athletes train to improve their aerobic capacity to perform better and longer without fatigue.
6. Respiration releases carbon dioxide, which plants use in photosynthesis, contributing to the carbon cycle.
7. Oxygen debt occurs when the body uses anaerobic respiration; it must repay the oxygen when normal activity resumes to convert lactic acid back.
8. Fermentation is a type of anaerobic respiration that produces energy without oxygen, often used in baking and brewing.
9. Organisms may have adaptations like larger gills or specialized cells to maximize oxygen absorption in low oxygen environments.
10. The body increases breathing and heart rate to expel carbon dioxide and intake more oxygen during intense exercise.
11. Respiration is vital for energy flow in ecosystems, supporting life processes in plants and animals.
12. Higher temperatures can increase respiration rates in organisms due to increased kinetic energy.
13. Respiration can be measured by looking at oxygen consumption or carbon dioxide production in organisms.
14. Respiration transfers energy from glucose to ATP, which is used for cellular functions.
15. Respiration rates can slow down with age due to decreased metabolic activity.
16. Exercise leads to a faster heartbeat and deeper breaths to supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide more efficiently.
17. Lactic acid is cleared through blood circulation to the liver, where it is converted back to glucose.
18. Plants may switch to anaerobic respiration during the night when there is no sunlight for photosynthesis.
19. Pollution can damage respiratory surfaces in animals and decrease the efficiency of respiration.
20. Long-term effects of anaerobic respiration can include muscle pain and reduced physical performance due to lactic acid accumulation.

I hope this helps you understand respiration better! Remember, it’s all about how living things get energy from food, and it’s super important for everything we do!