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Like other vertebrates, you rely on a large amount of energy made available through the

metabolism of food and oxygen. Humans and many other organisms are called aerobic

organisms because they need oxygen in order to survive.

What is respiration?

Respiration is the term used to refer to the movement of oxygen into your body and tissues

and the movement of carbon dioxide from your body to the environment. Different organism

have different modes of respiration and respiratory systems.

What is the basis of respiration?

The basis of respiration or gas exchange is called a pressure gradient. Remember that

substances tend to move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower

concentration. This is also called diffusion. This is true for the two gases essential for

espirationoxygen and carbon dioxide. Since oxygen concentration is greater in the

external environment, it tends to go inside your body through your respiratory system. Sinc

he carbon dioxide concentration becomes highly concentrated in your body, as a result of

metabolic processes, it tends to go outside your body. If you want to start having some rea

science fun while learning about how we breathe at the same time, be sure and download

ourRespiration Coloringsheet and Respiration Worksheet.

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What factors affect respiration?

There are three main factors that affect respiration. The first is surface-to-volume ratio. The

second is ventilation and the third is the presence of transport pigments.

Surface-volume ratio: Respiration is more efficient when there is higher surface-to-

volume ratio. This is the reason why your lungs have alveoli, which increase the surface ar

hrough which oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse through.Ventilation: Larger animals have larger body volumes. Therefore, they need a proce

other than diffusion in order to have enough oxygen and eliminate enough carbon dioxide.

This process is called ventilation. You ventilate your lungs when you breathe in and out. In

ish, ventilation is provided by their gills, which move back and forth. This stirs the

surrounding water, thereby bringing more dissolved oxygen to the fish and more carbon

dioxide away from the gills.

Transport pigments: Increased exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is made

possible by transport pigments. In humans, the main transport pigment is

hemoglobin.

n your alveoli, the oxygen concentration is high and the hemoglobin molecule binds a

maximum of four oxygen molecules. Hemoglobin combined with oxygen molecules is calle

oxyhemoglobin. Ourblood animation depicts this nicely and helps kids understand thescience behind what is happening in our bodies. Your circulatory system then brings

oxyhemoglobin to your other tissues. In the tissues, oxygen follows its pressure gradient. I

eaves the hemoglobin molecule and diffuses into your tissues. Alternatively, once near the

issues, hemoglobin also binds with carbon dioxide. This hemoglobin is called

carboxyhemoglobin or carbaminohemoglobin. Additionally, carbon dioxide becomes

dissolved in the blood. The carbon dioxide is then transported back to the lungs, through th

action of your circulatory system.

How do invertebrates undergo respiration?

nvertebrates include earthworms, flatworms and sponges. Most of these organisms do no

have specialized respiratory systems because respiration occurs through integumentary

exchange. This means that gases simply diffuse directly through their body covering or

ntegument. Integumentary exchange occurs best in moist environments, which is the reas

why many invertebrates live in water or aquatic habitats.

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Other invertebrates like mollusks have gills, which are specialized thin-walled organs for

espiration. These gills have folded walls, which increase the surface-to-volume ratio,

hereby increasing the gas exchange between the organism and the environment.

Also considered invertebrates, insects undergo tracheal respiration. This means that insec

have internal respiratory surfaces. These internal respiratory surfaces look like book pages

which earned them the name book lungs. Internal respiration is important because insect

ive in a relatively dry environment, compared to other invertebrates.

How do vertebrates undergo respiration?

Many fish have gills but some fish, all amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals have lungs

The development of lungs in higher vertebrates is an important adaptation for the dry

errestrial environment. Compared to gills and the respiratory systems of invertebrates, lunprovide a larger surface-to-volume ratio.

What controls respiration in humans?

You do not consciously control your breathing so what does it? The answer is in your

hindrain. Your respiratory center is present in the medulla oblongata, although the pons an

he other centers help regulate your breathing. Neurons in your medulla signal to your

espiratory muscles when to inhale and exhale. The control of respiration depends on theconcentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions in your blood. When there is

much carbon dioxide, too much hydrogen ions or too little oxygen, your respiratory rate

ncreases in order to enhance elimination of these substances.

Respiration is essential to life. To learn about human respiration further be sure and watch

out Lord Glucose animation.

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