CHAPTER Biology

01
LIFE PROCESSES : RESPIRATION
Life Processes:- The basic functions performed by living organism to maintain their life on
this Earth are called Life Processes.
Basic Life Processes are:- Nutrition, Respiration, Transportation, Excretion.

. Respiration .
➢ The process of releasing in energy from food is called Respiration.
➢ It occurs inside the cells of the body. So, it is called Cellular Respiration.
• Reaction involved in respiration is:-
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + H2O + Energy (Stored as ATP).

Breathing and Respiration :-

Breathing Respiration
• The mechanism by which organisms • Respiration includes breathing as well
obtain oxygen from the air and as the oxidation of food in the cells of
release carbon dioxide is called the organism to release energy.
Breathing.
• The process of breathing involves the • The process of respiration also
lungs of the Organism. involves the mitochondria in the cells
where food is oxidised to release
energy.

• Energy is not released. • Energy is released.

• It occurs outside the cell. • It occurs inside the cells.

• Enzymes are not involved. • Enzymes are involved for oxidation of

food.
ATP & ADP :-
• The energy released during respiration is used to make ATP molecules from ADP and
inorganic phosphate. This happens as follows: ADP combines with inorganic
phosphate by absorbing the energy released during respiration to form ATP molecules.
That is:
ADP (Low Energy) + Phosphate + Energy → ATP (High Energy)
• When the cell needs energy, then ATP can be broken down using water to release
energy. Thus:
ATP → ADP + Phosphate + Energy (For use in cells)
Types of Respiration:-
Aerobic Respiration
• The respiration which uses oxygen is called aerobic respiration.
• Complete breakdown of food takes place.
• The end product are Carbon dioxide and Water.
• High amount of energy (ATP) is formed. In Aerobic respiration, 1 molecule of glucose
(food) produces 38 energy-rich ATP molecules.
• Aerobic respiration, The pyruvic acid (pyruvate) molecules formed during glycolysis
are carried to the mitochondria where they completely break down to CO₂ and H₂O with
the evolution of a large amount of energy.
•

Anaerobic Respiration
• The respiration which takes place without oxygen is called anaerobic respiration.
• Incomplete breakdown of food takes place.
• The end product are Alcohol, Carbon dioxide.
• Less amount of energy is formed. In Anaerobic respiration, 1 molecule of glucose
(food) produces only 2 energy-rich ATP molecules.
• In microorganisms, the term fermentation is more commonly used instead of anaerobic
respiration. Fermentation is defined as the anaerobic breakdown of carbohydrates
and other organic compounds into alcohol, organic acids, gases, etc. For example,
yeast and certain bacteria utilise substances present outside the cells as respiratory
substrate, oxidise it to ethanol and carbon dioxide without utilising O₂.
•
 • In certain bacteria and parasitic worms (Tapeworm) glucose is metabolised to lactic acid
without the use of O₂ and without the formation of CO₂. In human beings, anaerobic
respiration occurs in certain tissues such as skeletal muscles. These muscles do not get
sufficient oxygen and anaerobically metabolise glucose to lactic acid during vigorous
exercise.
•

● Breakdown of Glucose by various Pathway .

Respiration in Plants
• All parts like roots, stems, branches, leaves, etc. respite separately. Oxygen is obtained
from the atmosphere which diffused in through: Stomata in Leaves, Lenticels in
Stem, General surface of Roots.
Respiration in Roots:-
• Air is present in-between the particles of soil. The roots of a plant take the oxygen
required for respiration from the air present in-between the soil particles by the
process of diffusion.
• The root hair are in contact with the air in the soil. Oxygen (from air in the soil
particles) diffuses into root hairs and reaches all the other cells of the root for
respiration. Carbon dioxide gas produced in the cells of the root during respiration
moves out through the same root hairs by the process of diffusion.
• Thus, the respiration in roots occurs by the diffusion of respiratory gases (oxygen and
carbon dioxide) through the root hairs.
Respiration in Stems :-
• The stem of Herbs have Stomata. So, the exchange of gases in Herbs takes place
through Stomata.
• The Hard and woody stems of big plants or trees have lenticels for the gaseous
exchange. Lenticels is a tiny opening on the bark where the cells are loosely packed
and have intracellular spaces for exchange of gases.
Respiration in Leaves :-
• The leaves of plants have tiny pores called Stomata. The exchange of gases in Leaves
takes place by the process of diffusion through Stomata.
• Respiration in leaves occurs during the day time as well as at night. On the other
hand, photosynthesis occurs only during the day time.
• During day time, when photosynthesis occurs, oxygen is produced. The leaves use
some of this oxygen for respiration and the rest of oxygen diffuses out into air.
• At night time, when no photosynthesis occurs and hence no oxygen is produced,
oxygen from air diffuses into leaves to carry out respiration. And carbon dioxide
produced by respiration diffuses out into air.

Respiration In Animals
• Terrestrial Organism – use atmospheric oxygen for respiration.
• Aquatic Organisms – use dissolved oxygen for respiration.
• The rate of breathing in aquatic animals is much faster than terrestrial animals.
Different animals have different modes of respiration. For example :
• In simple unicellular animals like Amoeba, respiration takes place by the simple
diffusion of gases through the cell membrane.
• The animals like earthworms which live in the soil use their skin to absorb oxygen
from air and remove carbon dioxide.
• The aquatic animals like fish have gills as the respiratory organs.
• In the insects like grasshopper, cockroach, housefly and a mosquito, the tiny holes
called spiracles on their body are the respiratory organs.
• The respiratory organs of the land animals such as man (humans), birds, lizard, dog,
and frog, etc., are the lungs. (Frogs, however, breathe both by lungs and skin).
All the respiratory organs have following characteristics:-
• The respiratory surface must have a large surface area.
• It should be extremely thin and moist for efficient diffusion.
• It should be richly supplied with blood capillaries.
• There should be a provision for carrying oxygen to respiratory surface and carrying
away CO₂ from the respiratory surface.
 • Mechanism of Breathing :-

Inhalation Exhalation
1. Air rich in oxygen flows into the lungs.
Air rich in Carbon dioxide is forced out of the
lungs.
2. Ribs moves upwards and outwards. Ribs moves downwards and inwards.
3. Diaphragm contracts and moves Diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards.
downwards.
4. Volume of chest cavity increases. Volume of chest cavity decreases.
5. Lungs expands, volume increases. Lungs contract, volume decreases.

Respiration In Humans:-

The Human
Respiratory
System

• Organs take part in the process of respiration in Human Beings are : Nose, Nasal passage
(or Nasal cavity), Trachea, Bronchi, Lungs and Diaphragm.
 • The human respiratory system begins from the nose. Our nose has
Nose/ two holes in it which are called nostrils.
Nostrils • The air for respiration is drawn into our body through the nostrils
present in the nose.
• Then air goes into nasal passage. The nasal passage is lined with
fine hair and mucus. When air passes through the nasal passage,
Nasal Passage
the dust particles and other impurities present in it are trapped by
nasal hair and mucus so that clean air goes into the lungs.
• The part of throat between the mouth and wind pipe is called
pharynx. Common passage for food and Air.
Pharynx
• It has small cartilaginous flap of skin called epiglottis which
prevent food or water to enter in respiratory track.
• The trachea is a tube which is commonly known as wind pipe. The
air coming from the nostrils during breathing passes through
Trachea (Wind
trachea. Trachea does not collapse even when there is no air in it
pipe)
because it is supported by rings of soft bones called cartilage.
• The upper end of trachea has a voice box called larynx.
• The trachea runs down the neck and divides into two smaller tubes
called ‘bronchi’ at its lower end. The two bronchi are connected to
Bronchi
the two lungs.
• The lungs lie in the chest cavity.
• Each bronchus divides in the lungs to form a large number of still
Bronchioles
smaller tubes called ‘bronchioles’.
• The smallest bronchioles have tiny air-sacs at their ends. The pouch-
like air-sacs at the ends of the smallest bronchioles are called
‘alveoli’. The walls of alveoli are very thin and they are surrounded
Alveoli by very thin blood capillaries. It is in the alveoli that oxygen is
Lungs taken into the body and carbon dioxide is eliminated.
• In other words, in the alveoli that gaseous exchange takes place.
• There are about 750 million alveoli with total surface of 200m 2.
• The Oxygen of the air diffused out from the thin walls of blood
capillaries. Oxygen combines with haemoglobin in blood to form
Exchange
oxyhaemoglobin and is carried to all the cells of body.
of
• Similarly, Carbon dioxide produced by the breakdown of food
gases
during respiration enters the blood. Blood caries the carbon dioxide
in
to the alveoli in the lungs. From lungs, Carbon dioxide is removed
Alveolus
along with the air we breathe out. In this way, Exchange if gases
takes place in Alveolus.
Note:- The deficiency of haemoglobin in the blood of a person reduces the oxygen-carrying
capacity of blood resulting in breathing problems, tiredness and lack of energy.
Rate of Breathing :-
• The average breathing rate in an adult man at rest is about 15 to 18 times per minute.
• Rapid breathing supplies more oxygen to the body cells for producing more energy
required for doing physical exercise.
Carbon Monoxide :-
• Carbon monoxide gas (CO) is formed whenever a fuel burns in an insufficient
supply of air. For example, if coal (or charcoal) is burned in a closed space, then a lot
of carbon monoxide is formed.
• Haemoglobin present in our blood carries oxygen to all the parts of our body.
• Haemoglobin has more attraction for carbon monoxide than oxygen, So, if carbon
monoxide gas is inhaled by a person, then this carbon monoxide binds very strongly
with haemoglobin in the blood and prevents it from carrying oxygen to the brain
and other parts of the body. Due to lack of oxygen, the person cannot breathe
properly. If carbon monoxide is inhaled for a long time, then the person becomes
unconscious and can even die due to oxygen starvation.