New
New
Year 8

Breathing, respiration and gas exchange

I can describe the differences between breathing, respiration and gas exchange.

New
New
Year 8

Breathing, respiration and gas exchange

I can describe the differences between breathing, respiration and gas exchange.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Humans and other animals breathe to move air in and out of their lungs.
  2. Cells need oxygen from the air for cellular respiration, to provide energy for life processes.
  3. Cellular respiration produces carbon dioxide as a waste product.
  4. Oxygen needs to be absorbed into, and carbon dioxide needs to be removed from, the human body.
  5. In gas exchange, oxygen diffuses from the lungs into the blood; carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the lungs.

Common misconception

Breathing and respiration are the same thing.

This lesson explores the differences between breathing, respiration and gas exchange, including what they are and where they take place.

Keywords

  • Breathing - Breathing is the process in which air moves in and out of the lungs.

  • Lungs - The lungs are a pair of organs found in humans and some other animals.

  • Cellular respiration - Cellular respiration is a chemical process in cells, which uses sugar as a fuel to provide energy for life processes.

  • Mitochondria - Subcellular structures, called mitochondria, use sugar and oxygen for cellular respiration.

  • Gas exchange - The process of oxygen diffusing from the lungs to the blood and carbon dioxide diffusing from the blood to the lungs is called gas exchange.

Saying "cellular respiration" rather than just "respiration" can help to reinforce understanding that it is a chemical process that takes place in cells (in contrast to breathing: a mechanical process carried out by organs including the lungs).
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What do humans need to breathe in, to stay alive?
Correct Answer: Air, air, Oxygen, oxygen
Q2.
is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Correct Answer: Diffusion, diffusion
Q3.
Which of the following is the place inside a cell where cellular respiration takes place?
chloroplast
Correct answer: mitochondria
nucleus
vacuole
Q4.
The human body...
...contains a small number of cells.
Correct answer: ...is made up of many cells.
...is one big cell.
...only has cells between the organs.
Q5.
Which of the following is used by the body as a source of energy?
Fibre
Water
Correct answer: Sugar
Vitamins
Q6.
Oxygen is transported from the lungs to cells around the body by travelling in the .
Correct Answer: Blood, blood, red blood cells, the blood, bloodstream
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6 Questions

Q1.
What is in the air we breathe in?
Just oxygen.
Just carbon dioxide.
A mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Correct answer: A mixture of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases.
Q2.
What is in the air we breathe out?
Just oxygen.
Just carbon dioxide.
A mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Correct answer: A mixture of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases.
Q3.
Which process involves moving air into the lungs?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Breathing
Cellular respiration
Gas exchange
Q4.
Which process takes place in the mitochondria of cells?
An image in a quiz
Breathing
Correct answer: Cellular respiration
Gas exchange
Q5.
Which process involves diffusion of gases between air sacs in the lungs and blood vessels?
An image in a quiz
Breathing
Cellular respiration
Correct answer: Gas exchange
Q6.
Which process produces carbon dioxide as a waste product and provides energy for life processes in cells?
Breathing
Correct answer: Cellular respiration
Gas exchange
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