SCIENCE FORM 3:

Chapter 1: Respiration
a) Living things take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. This process involves exchange of gases,
known as breathing.
b) Breathing is the process of taking in (inhaling) and expelling (exhaling) air.
c) Breathes by using both lungs in the thoracic cavity or chest and the air passages leading to them.
d) Inhaled air (nostril or mouth nasal cavity) trachea bronchus bronchiole
alveolus alveoli
e) Nasal cavity secretes mucus.
f) Alveoli is surrounded by blood capillaries.
g) Gases exchange takes place, called diffusion. High concentration Low concentration. Takes place
in the alveolus.
CELLULAR RESPIRATION = Glucose + Oxygen Energy + Carbon Dioxide + Water
Parts and Functions of the Respiratory System
a. Nasal Cavity = space where air passes through and warms and moistens air that passes through,
filters dusts particles in the air at the same time.
b. Trachea = a tube supported by rings of the cartilage. A tube where air is drawn into the lungs.
Consists of cilia and mucus that helps trap dusts and microorganisms in the air, therefore clean
air will enter the trachea though the pharnyx.
c. Bronchus (singular) & Bronchi (plural) = two branches/tubes that leads into the lungs and
divides into smaller tubes called bronchioles. The two branches direct air into the lungs (left and
right).
d. Bronchiole = small branches inside the lungs. At the end of the branches are air-sacs called the
alveoli.
e. Ribs = bones that form the rib cage which protects the lungs.
f. Intercostals muscles = muscles in between the ribs.
g. Diaphragm = a sheet of muscles situated at the bottom of the lungs, separates the thoracic
cavity from the abdominal cavity. (CONTRACTS or RELAXES, changes the volume of thoracic
cavity)
h. Lung = made up of alveoli which is surrounded with a rich supply of blood capillaries.
Characteristics of the Alveolus
a. Has a large surface area compared to its volume.
b. Very thin walls and elastic.
c. Surrounded by blood capillaries.
d. Moist.


Inhalation and Exhalation
Inhalation:
1) Air which enters the lungs is inhaled air. (Breathing in)
2) Diaphragm contracts and moves downwards (flattens).
3) Intercostal muscles contracts, rib cage moves upwards and outwards. External intercostal
muscles contracts.
4) The movement of diaphragm and intercostal muscles increases the volume of thoracic cavity.
5) Air pressure in the thoracic cavity decreases and the pressure is lower than the pressure outside
the lungs.
6) Air is forced into the lungs when its inhaled.
Exhalation:
1) Air which goes out of the lungs is exhaled air. (Breathing out)
2) Diaphragm relaxes and curves upwards.
3) Intercostal muscles relaxes, rib cage moves downwards and inwards. External intercostal
muscles relaxes.
4) The movement of diaphragm and intercostal muscles decreases the volume of thoracic cavity.
5) Air pressure in the thoracic cavity increases and the pressure is higher than the pressure outside
the lungs.
6) Air is forced out of the lungs when its exhaled.











Transport of Oxygen in the Human Body
BLOOD PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE TRANSPORT OF OXYGEN
1. Exchange of respiratory gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) occurs in the alveolus by diffusion.
2. Inhaled air which is rich with oxygen is found inside the alveolus. The oxygen then dissolves in the
moist lining of the alveolus and then diffuses into the blood capillaries.
3. Because the blood capillaries are near to the alveolus, the dissolved oxygen diffuses easily and
efficiently to the blood capillaries.
4. Oxygen then diffuses into the red blood cells. Binds with the haemoglobin which then turns into
oxyhaemoglobin.
OXYGEN + HAEMOGLOBIN = OXYHAEMOGLOBIN
5. The blood that is rich with oxygen then leaves the lungs and is carried by bigger blood vessels into the
heart. Transported to the heart, thus, the blood pumped out of the heart is distributed to all parts of the
body (body tissues and cells) for respiration.
6. Oxyhaemoglobin will then breakdown to release the oxygen once it reaches the body cells which do
not have enough oxygen. The oxygen diffuses through the walls of the capillaries into the cells. (High
concentration to low concentration)
7. At the same time, carbon dioxide switches places with the oxygen particles as the oxygen diffuses
through the walls of the capillary to the cells. So, the carbon dioxide diffuses into the blood capillaries to
be carried back to the lungs.

CONCENTRATION OF OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE

Difference is that the oxygen diffuses from the alveoli to the blood capillaries and the carbon dioxide
diffuses from the blood capillaries to the alveoli.

Inhaled Air:
a) 78% Nitrogen
b) 21% Oxygen
c) 0.03% Carbon Dioxide
d) 1% Noble Gases
e) Water Vapour (variable)

Parts Oxygen Content Carbon Dioxide Content
Alveolus High Low
Blood Capillaries Low High
Exhaled Air:
a) 78% Nitrogen
b) 16% Oxygen
c) 4% Carbon Dioxide
d) 1% Noble Gases
e) Water Vapour (saturated)

(From alveolus to
blood capillaries )
CONCENTRATION OF OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE
Parts Oxygen Content Carbon Dioxide Content
Blood Capillaries High Low
Cells Low High

Importance of a Healthy Respiratory System
Humans respiratory system is prone to be affected by air pollution because we breathe in the air with
various substances (which may contain harmful substances, pollutants and bacteria, viruses or other
microorganisms)




Notes
1. Nose hair filters tiny particles in the air.
2. Thoracic cavity = the cavity in the vertebrate body enclosed by the ribs between the diaphragm and
the neck which contains the lungs and the heart.
3. Larnyx = Voice box
4. Humans have 12 pairs of ribs.
5. Breathing and cell respiration is different. Breathing = exchange of respiratory gases between the
lungs (alveoli) and the atmosphere. Cell respiration = breakdown of food (glucose) in cells to release
energy.
(From blood capillaries to
cells)