8 visitors online
Guests: 8
Registered: 0
Homework → Science → Biology → Respiration
What is respiration?
Respiration is the name given to the series of chemical reactions which release energy from food. There are two main types of respiration: anaerobic-without oxygen, and aerobic-with oxygen.
Aerobic Respiration
Carbohydrates (sugar) + Oxygen (O2) → Energy + Carbon Dioxide (CO2) + water (H2O)
This process occurs 24 hours a day in all living organisms. It occurs in the cytoplasm of cells within the mitochondria. The energy produced by respiration is used for growth, movement and replacing worn out or damaged tissues. Respiration must not be confused with breathing which is a physical process of gaseous exchange (taking in oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide) between the organism and its surroundings. Examples of breathing include taking air into the lungs (mammals) or extracting dissolved oxygen using gills (fish).
Here is a diagram of the gaseous exchange (BREATHING) that takes place in the alveoli inside the human lung:
Deoxygenated blood from the heart releases CO2 into the alvioli and collects O2. This is then transported back through the heart and arteries to cells for respiration.