Directorate: Curriculum FET

SUBJECT and GRADE Life Sciences Grade 11

TERM 3 Week 3
TOPIC Human Gas Exchange - Ventilation of the lungs and homeostatic control of breathing

AIMS OF LESSON At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
• Label drawings of the ventilation system of humans
• Understand how gaseous exchange takes place in the alveoli
• Know how gases are transported around the body
• Understand gaseous exchange in the tissues
• Know and analyse data of the composition of inspired air vs expired air
• Know the homeostatic control of breathing
RESOURCES Paper based resources
Refer to your textbook section on:
• The ventilation of the lungs
• Exchange and transport of gases
• Homeostatic control of breathing
INTRODUCTION Refer to the following sections for background information:
• the structure and functioning of the ventilation system in humans
• cellular respiration in Grade 11
• animal tissues in Grade 10
CONCEPTS AND SKILLS Below are definitions of some of the terms that you will study under this section. Use your textbook and underline all
the new terms/words that you encounter while studying through this section. Use the glossary in your textbook to
define these new terms/words (Note: At least 2 marks are awarded if you can define a term correctly in a test or
examination)
Diaphragm – The muscular plate which separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity in humans
Alveoli – The part of the lungs where exchange of gases takes place
Bronchi – The two main branches of the trachea
Intercostal muscles – The muscles found between the ribs and involved in the mechanism of breathing
Epiglottis – The structure that prevents food from entering the trachea during swallowing
Haemoglobin – The compound that contains iron and carries oxygen in the blood
Study the content below on the ventilation of the lungs, gaseous exchange, transport of gases, composition of inspired
and expired air and the homeostatic control of breathing.

Ventilation of the lungs:

Ventilation of the lungs takes place in two phases i.e.

• Inspiration – movement of air from the atmosphere into the lungs
• Expiration – movement of air from the lungs to the atmosphere
Inspiration/Inhalation Expiration/Exhalation
• This is the active phase of breathing • This is the passive phase of breathing
• The external intercostal muscles contract • The external intercostal muscles relax
• Causing the ribs to move upward and outwards • Causing the ribs to move downwards and inwards
• The diaphragm contracts and becomes flatter • The diaphragm relaxes and become dome-shaped
• The volume of the thoracic cavity increases • The volume of the thoracic cavity is decreased
• The abdominal muscles relax so that the • The abdominal muscles contract and force the
abdominal cavity can accommodate all the abdominal content upwards against the
internal organs diaphragm
• The pressure in the thoracic cavity and lungs • The pressure in the thoracic cavity and lungs
decrease increase
• The elastic lungs expand • The elastic lungs are compressed
• Atmospheric pressure is higher than the pressure • Air pressure in the lungs is higher than in the
of air in the lungs atmosphere
• Air rich with oxygen(O2) flows into the lungs • Air rich with carbon dioxide (CO2) flows out of the
lungs
Gaseous exchange in the alveoli:

• The inhaled air in the alveoli has a higher oxygen concentration than the blood in the surrounding blood
capillaries
• The oxygen dissolves in the thin layer of moisture that lines the alveoli and diffuses through the thin walls of the
squamous epithelium of the alveoli and endothelial walls of the capillaries into the blood.
 • The blood that reaches the alveoli from the tissues has a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than the air in
the alveoli
• Carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood in the capillaries through the endothelial walls of the capillaries and the
thin squamous epithelial walls of the alveoli into the air in the alveoli

Gaseous exchange in the tissues:

• Oxygenated blood reaches the tissues

• The blood in the capillaries has a higher oxygen concentration than the cells of the tissues
• Oxygen diffuses through the endothelial walls of the capillaries into the tissue fluid that surrounds the cells and
then into the cells
• The cells have a higher carbon dioxide concentration than the blood in the capillaries
• Carbon dioxide diffuses from the cells into the tissue fluid and then diffuses into the blood in the capillaries.

Transport of gases in the blood:

Transport of oxygen:
• Most of the oxygen that diffuses from the air in the alveoli to the blood in the capillaries combines with
haemoglobin in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) to form oxyhaemoglobin.
• A small portion of oxygen dissolves in the blood plasma and is transported in solution.
Transport of carbon dioxide:
• Most of the carbon dioxide that diffuses from the cells into the blood in the capillaries is transported as
bicarbonate ions. Carbon dioxide combines with water to form carbonic acid. The carbonic acid dissociates and is
forms bicarbonate ions.
• Some of the carbon dioxide combines with heamoglobin to form carbaminohaemoglobin. The carbon dioxide is
then transported in this form by the erythrocytes to the lungs.
• The smallest portion of carbon dioxide dissolves in the blood plasma and is transported in solution.

Composition of inspired and expired air:

Component of air Inspired air Expired air
Oxygen 21% 15%
Carbon dioxide 0,04% 4,0%
Nitrogen 78% 78%
Water vapour Varies according to the Higher than in inspired air
environmental conditions

Homeostatic control of breathing:

• When the carbon dioxide concentration in the blood increases e.g. after or during an exercise
• Chemoreceptors in the wall of the aorta and in the carotid arteries are stimulated
• The chemoreceptors send nerve impulses to the respiratory and cardiovascular centres in the medulla oblongata
of the brain
• The medulla oblongata sends nerve impulses to the diaphragm and intercostal muscles
• These muscles contract more actively and this increases the rate and depth of breathing and more carbon dioxide
-rich air is exhaled
• The cardiovascular centre sends impulses to the heart and the heart beats faster.
• Carbon dioxide is transported faster to the lungs and exhaled
• The carbon dioxide concentration in the blood returns to normal.
Know the meaning of instructional verbs in test and examination questions e.g.

Instructional verb Meaning

Name Give the name of something
Differentiate Use differences to qualify between
two or more categories
Tabulate Draw a table and indicate the
answers as direct pairs.
Describe State in sentences the main points
of a process
Explain Give your answer in a cause-effect
or statement and reason sequence
Compare Give similarities and differences
between concepts

Answer the following questions:

Question 1

1. The diagrams below show some parts of the human ventilation system. (Biology SG P1 2002)
1.1 Describe the changes that take place from process 1 to process 2 in the diagrams.

2. The diagram below shows part of the human ventilation system. (Biology SG P1 2002)

2.1 Identify the parts labelled A, B, C and D.

2.2 Name the gas that is at a higher concentration immediately after inhalation at points…
(a) A and
(b) B
2.3 State TWO ways in which the gas mentioned in QUESTION 2.2 (a) is transported.
Question 3:
3. Study the diagram below and answer the questions that follow. (Biology HG P1 2004)

3.1 Identify parts A, B and C.

3.2 Name the process represented by arrows 1 and 2.
3.3 Explain TWO ways, as seen in the diagram, in which the alveolus satisfies the requirements for an efficient gaseous
exchange surface.
3.4 In which area (X or Y) will the blood contain a higher concentration of bicarbonate ions?
3.5 Give a reason for your answer to QUESTION 3.4.
3.6 Explain TWO ways in which part C is structurally suited for its function.

Question 4:
4. In an investigation a trained athlete exercised by running on an exercise machine until she/he became tired. The speed
of the machine was adjusted so that the athlete reached a state of tiredness in about 15 minutes, while breathing
atmospheric air (Atm. air). (Biology HG P1 2004)
The following were measured throughout the period of exercise:
• The rate of breathing
• The carbon dioxide concentration in the alveoli, per unit volume

After the athlete had recovered fully, the procedure was repeated but this time she/he breathed oxygen only.
Note: Expired air was not re-breathed in the investigation.
The results are shown below.
4.1 State ONE conclusion that can be made about the rate of breathing when breathing atmospheric air and oxygen only.
4.2 Suggest TWO possible reasons for the differences observed in the alveolar carbon dioxide concentration when
breathing atmospheric air and oxygen only.
4.3 Explain why expired air should not be re-breathed during this investigation.
4.4 Explain how the above results could have differed if the investigation was carried out with a non-athlete.

Question 5:
5. The diagram below shows the apparatus that is used to demonstrate the mechanism of breathing. (Biology HG P1
March 2006)
5.1 Identify the structure in the human breathing system that is represented by each of the following parts:
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
5.2 State what would happen to the following if the part labelled E is moved to position D
(a) Balloons
(b) Volume of air in the bell jar
5.3 Explain why this apparatus is considered as a poor representation of the breathing system of humans.

Question 6:
6. The table below shows the composition of gases in inhaled and exhaled air. (Biology SG P1 March 2005)
Gases Inhaled air Exhaled air
Nitrogen 79,0% 78,8%
Oxygen 20,9% 16,4%
Carbon dioxide 0,03% 4,1%

6.1 Name ONE other gas, not listed in the table, which is also inhaled and exhaled.
6.2 Calculate the percentage of nitrogen trapped in the lungs during breathing. Show your working.
6.3 Explain why 0,03% carbon dioxide was inhaled and yet 4,1% was exhaled.
 Question 7:
7. Describe how the human body restores the carbon dioxide concentration in the blood when it rises above normal
levels. (Life Sciences P1 NSC Nov 2015)

Common errors made by learners in examinations:

• Do not understand instructional verb/s in a question e.g. the difference between describe and explain.
• Not able to provide correct labels to drawings/illustrations or make drawings.
• Not able to interpret diagrams and data that is represented in graphs and tables
ACTIVITIES/ • Complete the activities/questions on the above sections on the human ventilation system in your textbook.
ASSESSMENT • Conduct research of the effect of the latest coronavirus on the ventilation of the lungs in humans
CONSOLIDATION • Define all the terminology relevant to the topic/s covered in this lesson
• Label, draw and interpret diagrams/graphs/tables
• Describe inspiration, expiration, gaseous exchange and the homeostatic control of breathing
Note: The knowledge and skills gained in this section will help you to have a better understanding of the following section
that you still need to deal with in Grade 12
• Homeostatic control of breathing
VALUES By studying and learning about the human ventilation system and the effects of e.g. the latest coronavirus on the
ventilation system you will understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.