B3 - Respiration

Respiration is not breathing in and out Respiration goes in every cell. It;s the process of releasing energy from glucose The energy from respiration can't be used directly by cells - so it's used to make a substance - ATP ATP acts as an energy source for many cell processes and transports energy to where it is needed in cells Respiration is controlled by enzymes. This means that rate of reaction is determined by both temperature and pH There are two types of respiration, aerobic and anaerobic

Aerobic respiration need plenty of oxygen  Aerobic respiration is what happens when there's lots of oxygen available "Aerobic" just means with oxygen and it is the most efficient way to release energy from glucose This is the respiration that is used most of the time Glucose (C6H12O6) + Oxygen (6O2) > Carbon dioxide (6CO2) + Water (6H2O) When the respiration rate increases, both oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production increase This means the rate of oxygen consumption can be used to estimate metabolic rate

Anaerobic respiration doesn't use oxygen at all When you do vigorous exercise, your body can't supply enough oxygen to your muscles for aerobic respiration, the muscles have to start respiring anaerobically Anaerobic means without oxygen, it's not the best way to release energy from glucose In anaerobic respiration, the glucose is only partially broken down and lactic acid is produced Glucose > Lactic acid The advantage is that at least you can keep on using your muscles Oxygen debt - Basically you need extra oxygen to break down all the lactic acid that's built up in your muscles You have to keep breathing hard for a while to repay the oxygen debt The lactic acid has to be carried to the liver to be broken down

The respiratory quotient The respiratory quotient (RQ) can tell you whether some one is respiring anaerobically or aerobically. You can calculate this by using the equation RQ = Amount of CO2 produced/Amount of O2 used The RQ is usually between 0.7 and 1 - this means the person is respiring aerobically If the RQ is greater than 1 - then the person is respiring anaerobically

New Page