Respiration in Cells

• Respiration is a chemical process that involves the breakdown of nutrient molecules

(specifically glucose) in order to release the energy.
o Respiration is enzyme-controlled
• Respiration occurs in all living cells; most of the chemical reactions in aerobic
respiration take place in the mitochondria
• Humans need the energy released during respiration for:
o Muscle contraction
o Protein synthesis
o Cell division (to make new cells)
o Growth
o Active transport across cell membranes
o Generation of nerve impulses
o Maintaining a constant internal body temperature

Avoid the common misconception that respiration is breathing! Respiration is a series

of chemical reactions that release energy from glucose inside cells.

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Respiration are of two types Aerobic and anaerobic
Aerobic respiration is defined as chemical reactions in cells that use oxygen to break down
nutrient(glucose) molecules to release energy.

• It is the complete breakdown of glucose to release a relatively large amount of

energy for use in cell processes
• It produces carbon dioxide and water as well as releasing useful cellular energy

Anaerobic respiration

• Anaerobic respiration does not require oxygen and is defined as the chemical
reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules to release energy without
using oxygen
• It is the incomplete breakdown of glucose and releases a relatively small amount of
energy (compared to aerobic respiration) for use in cell processes
• It produces different breakdown products depending on the type of organism it is taking
place in

• In muscles:

• In yeast

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Human Respiratory System

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Protecting the gas exchange system-
Goblet Cells- are found in the epithelial lining of the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles of the respiratory
tract. Their role is to secrete sticky mucus. Mucus helps to trap dirt particles or pathogens (bacteria) and
other harmful particles in the air before they get to the alveoli.

Cilia- found in trachea and bronchi which continually beat to move the mucus, secreted by the goblet
cells, upwards out of the airways. This helps to prevent dust particles and bacteria from reaching the alveoli.

Mechanism of Breathing
Inhalation-
1 The diaphragm muscles contract and pull it down.
2. The external intercostal muscles contract (whereas the internal intercostal muscles relax) and pull the
ribcage upwards and outwards.
3. These two movements increases the thorax volume, so forcing the lungs to expand. As the volume of the
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thorax increases, the pressure inside it falls below atmospheric pressure.
4. Air therefore flows in along the trachea and bronchi into the lungs.

Exhalation-
1 The diaphragm muscles relax, allowing the diaphragm to return to its domed shape.
2 The external intercostal muscles relax, pulling the ribs downwards.
3. This decreases the volume in the thorax
4. The pressure inside it increases. Air therefore flows out.

[Note- Sometimes, though you breathe out more forcefully- for example -when coughing, then the internal
intercoastal muscles contracts strongly, making the ribcage drop down even further.
The muscles of the abdomen wall also contract,helping to squeeze extra air out of the thorax].

Anaerobic Respiration & Oxygen Debt

[Oxygen debt is the extra oxygen that must be consumed after a period of vigorous exercise
• This oxygen is needed to break down lactic acid that was built up in the muscles while
respiring anaerobically. This is why people continue to breathe fast after a period of
physical activity.]

• Lactic acid builds up in muscle cells and lowers the pH of the cells (making them more
acidic).
• Cells excrete lactic acid into the blood. When blood passes through the liver, lactic acid is
taken up into liver cells where it is oxidised, producing carbon dioxide and water (Lactic
acid reacts with oxygen - this is actually aerobic respiration with lactic acid as the nutrient
molecule instead of glucose)
• So the waste products of lactic acid oxidation are carbon dioxide and water
• This is the reason we continue to breath heavily and our heart rate remains high even
after finishing exercise - we need to transport the lactic acid from our muscles to the liver,
and continue getting larger amounts of oxygen into the blood to oxidise the lactic acid.

• How the oxygen debt is removed after exercise:

(a) continuation of fast heart rate to transport lactic acid in the blood from the muscles to
the liver
(b) continuation of deeper and faster breathing to supply oxygen for aerobic respiration of
lactic acid
(c) aerobic respiration of lactic acid in the liver

The Effect of Temperature on Respiration

The Effect of Temperature on the Respiration of Yeast Cells

• There are several different experimental methods that can be used to investigate the rate
of respiration in organisms
• Some methods, such as the experiment described below, involve the use of a coloured
indicator
• An indicator can be used to investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of aerobic
respiration in yeast
• Methylene blue dye is a suitable indicator
• This dye can be added to a suspension of living yeast cells because it doesn't damage
cells
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 • Yeast can respire both aerobically and anaerobically, though in this experiment it is their
rate of aerobic respiration that is being investigated
• The time taken for the methylene blue to discolour (lose its colour) is a measure of
the rate of respiration of the yeast cells in the suspension
• The faster the dye changes from blue to colourless, the faster the rate of respiration
Apparatus

• Yeast suspension
• Glucose solution
• Test tubes
• Stopwatch
• Methylene blue
• Temperature-controlled water bath(s)

Methylene blue is added to a solution of aerobically respiring yeast cells in a

glucose suspension. The rate at which the solution turns from blue to colourless
gives a measure of the rate of aerobic respiration.
Independent and dependent variables

• The independent variable is the variable that is changed on purpose

o Here the investigation studies the effect of temperature on respiration rate in
yeast, so the independent variable is temperature
o Different temperatures are achieved using water baths
• The dependent variable is the variable that is measured, i.e. the variable
that depends on the independent variable for its outcome
o In an investigation into the effect of temperature on the rate of respiration in
yeast, the rate of respiration is the dependent variable
o The rate is measured here by recording the time taken for methylene blue dye to
change from blue to colourless

Controlling other variables

• It is important when investigating the effect of one variable on another to ensure that any
other variables that might influence the dependent variable are being controlled, e.g.
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o Volume/concentration of dye added: if there are more dye molecules present
then the time taken for the colour change to occur may be longer
o Volume/concentration of yeast suspension: if more yeast cells are present then
more respiration will be occurring and the dye will change colour more quickly
o Concentration of glucose: if there is limited glucose in one tube then the
respiration of those yeast cells will be limited
o pH: pH can influence enzyme activity, and enzymes are involved in the reactions of
respiration, so pH can therefore influence the rate of respiration
▪ A buffer solution can be used to control the pH level to ensure that no
enzymes are denatured.

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