Respiration
Edexcel International GCSE BiologyΒ· 2.34β2.39 (2017 Issue 3 spec)Β· 18 min read
1. What is Respiration? ATP Production and Roleβ β ββββ± 3 min
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Respiration
A series of enzyme-controlled chemical reactions that occur in all living cells, releasing energy from glucose to produce ATP for cellular processes.
Respiration occurs continuously in all living cells, and is not the same as breathing (ventilation), which is the physical process of moving gases in and out of gas exchange surfaces like lungs or leaves.
ATP is the immediate energy source for all cellular activities, including muscle contraction, active transport, synthesis of large molecules such as proteins, and cell division. The energy stored in ATP is released when it is broken down in cells for use in these processes.
Explain why human muscle cells contain far more mitochondria (the site of aerobic respiration) than fat storage cells.
- 1
First, recall the function of mitochondria: they are the site of aerobic respiration, which produces ATP for cells.
- 2
Next, link to the function of muscle cells: muscle cells require large, continuous supplies of energy to contract during movement, so need large amounts of ATP.
- 3
Fat storage cells have very low metabolic activity, so require very little ATP, hence have far fewer mitochondria.
Exam tip:
Always explicitly distinguish respiration (cellular chemical reaction) from breathing if asked to define respiration in exams, to avoid losing marks.
2. Aerobic Respiration: Equations and Key Featuresβ β β βββ± 4 min
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Aerobic respiration is the most efficient form of respiration, occurring only when a continuous supply of oxygen is available. It results in the complete breakdown of glucose into harmless waste products, releasing a large amount of ATP per glucose molecule.
Aerobic Respiration
Respiration that uses oxygen to completely break down glucose, producing carbon dioxide, water and large quantities of ATP.
You must recall both the word and balanced symbol equation for aerobic respiration for your exam. The balanced symbol equation is shown below:
Word equation: glucose + oxygen β carbon dioxide + water
Balanced symbol equation: 1 molecule of glucose reacts with 6 molecules of oxygen to produce 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water
A student writes the aerobic respiration symbol equation as . State two mistakes in this equation.
- 1
First, compare the given equation to the required balanced symbol equation.
- 2
Mistake 1: The equation is unbalanced, with unequal numbers of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms on each side of the reaction.
- 3
Mistake 2: The stoichiometric coefficients of 6 for , and are missing, so the equation does not match the required balanced version.
Exam tip:
You will not be asked to balance the aerobic respiration equation from scratch, but you must be able to recognise the correct balanced version and write it out from memory.
3. Anaerobic Respiration: Differences and Word Equationsβ β β βββ± 4 min
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Anaerobic respiration occurs when oxygen is not available, for example in human muscle cells during intense exercise, or in yeast cells growing in oxygen-free environments. It results in the incomplete breakdown of glucose, so releases far less ATP than aerobic respiration.
Organism Group | Waste Products | Word Equation |
|---|---|---|
Animals (e.g. human muscle cells) | Lactic acid only (no CO2, no water) | glucose β lactic acid |
Plants and fungi (e.g. yeast) | Ethanol + carbon dioxide | glucose β ethanol + carbon dioxide |
Aerobic respiration uses oxygen; anaerobic does not
Aerobic respiration completely breaks down glucose; anaerobic breaks glucose down incompletely
Aerobic respiration releases large amounts of ATP per glucose; anaerobic releases small amounts of ATP
Aerobic respiration produces CO2 and water; anaerobic produces organism-specific waste products as listed above
A student states that anaerobic respiration in human muscle cells produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. Explain why this is incorrect, and give the correct product.
- 1
First, recall the products of anaerobic respiration in animals: only lactic acid is produced, no carbon dioxide or ethanol.
- 2
Ethanol and carbon dioxide are the products of anaerobic respiration in plants and yeast, not animals.
- 3
Correct product: lactic acid.
4. Required Practical: Investigating Respiration in Living Organismsβ β β β ββ± 5 min
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You will be assessed on your knowledge of this practical in written exams, including the method, controls, expected results and conclusions. The practical investigates two by-products of respiration: carbon dioxide and heat, using germinating (respiring) seeds as the living tissue.
Control Group
The group in an experiment where the variable being tested is removed, to provide a baseline for comparison. In this practical, boiled (dead) seeds are the control, as they cannot respire.
CO2 investigation: Place equal masses of germinating seeds and boiled (dead) seeds in separate sealed test tubes, connected to a tube of hydrogencarbonate indicator or limewater. Leave for 30 minutes, then observe colour changes.
Heat investigation: Place equal masses of germinating seeds and boiled (dead) seeds in separate insulated thermos flasks, with a thermometer placed in each, sealed at the top. Record the temperature in each flask every 24 hours for 3 days.
State the expected results for both the CO2 and heat investigations, and the conclusion you can draw from these results.
- 1
CO2 investigation results: The hydrogencarbonate indicator in the test tube with germinating seeds turns from red to yellow (or limewater turns cloudy). The indicator in the control test tube with dead seeds stays red (limewater stays clear).
- 2
Heat investigation results: The temperature in the flask with germinating seeds increases by several degrees over 3 days. The temperature in the control flask with dead seeds stays the same.
- 3
Conclusion: Living respiring seeds release carbon dioxide and heat as by-products of respiration.
Exam tip:
Always name the control (boiled/dead seeds) when asked about this practical, as this is a frequently tested marking point. You can use other respiring tissue like woodlice or germinating beans, but the control is always dead, non-respiring tissue of the same type.
5. Exam Phrasing and Key Marking Pointsβ β ββββ± 2 min
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6. Common Pitfalls
Wrong move:
Confusing respiration (cellular chemical reaction) with breathing/ventilation
Why:
Mark schemes explicitly require the distinction for definition questions, and mixing these terms leads to lost marks.
Correct move:
Always define respiration as the enzyme-controlled chemical reaction in cells that releases energy from glucose, not the physical process of gas exchange.
Wrong move:
Writing that anaerobic respiration in animals produces carbon dioxide
Why:
This is a common mark scheme discriminator: animal anaerobic respiration only produces lactic acid, no CO2.
Correct move:
Memorise the product split: animals = lactic acid only; plants/yeast = ethanol + CO2.
Wrong move:
Giving an unbalanced aerobic respiration symbol equation, e.g. missing 6 coefficients for O2, CO2 and H2O
Why:
The spec requires you to recall the exact balanced symbol equation for aerobic respiration.
Correct move:
Practice writing until you can recall it perfectly.
Wrong move:
Forgetting to name the control group (boiled/dead seeds) in the required practical
Why:
Control groups are a required marking point for all practical questions.
Correct move:
Always state that the control is boiled, non-respiring seeds, used to prove that only living respiring tissue produces CO2 and heat.
Wrong move:
Stating that anaerobic respiration produces the same amount of ATP as aerobic respiration
Why:
Anaerobic respiration only partially breaks down glucose, so releases far less ATP per glucose molecule.
Correct move:
Explicitly state that aerobic respiration releases more ATP than anaerobic when comparing the two processes.
7. Quick Reference Cheatsheet
Topic | Key Fact |
|---|---|
ATP | Immediate energy source for cells, produced by respiration |
Aerobic Word Equation | glucose + oxygen β carbon dioxide + water |
Aerobic Symbol Equation | |
Anaerobic (Animals) Word Equation | glucose β lactic acid |
Anaerobic (Plants/Yeast) Word Equation | glucose β ethanol + carbon dioxide |
Practical Control | Boiled/dead (non-respiring) seeds |
Aerobic vs Anaerobic | Aerobic uses O2, full glucose breakdown, more ATP; anaerobic no O2, partial breakdown, less ATP |
8. Frequently Asked
Do I need to learn the symbol equation for anaerobic respiration?
No, the Edexcel IGCSE Biology specification only requires you to recall the word equations for anaerobic respiration in animals, plants and yeast. Only aerobic respiration requires the balanced symbol equation.
Is respiration the same as breathing?
No. Respiration is a chemical reaction that occurs in all living cells, releasing energy from glucose to make ATP. Breathing (ventilation) is a physical process that moves oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out, to supply cells with the oxygen needed for aerobic respiration.
What is the purpose of boiled seeds in the respiration practical?
Boiled seeds are dead, so they cannot carry out respiration. They act as the control group in the experiment, to prove that the release of carbon dioxide and heat is caused by living, respiring tissue.
Going deeper
What's Next
Now that you have mastered respiration content for Edexcel IGCSE Biology, you are ready to move on to related topics that build on this knowledge. The next core topic in Section 2 is gas exchange, which covers how oxygen is delivered to respiring cells and waste carbon dioxide is removed from the body across specialised gas exchange surfaces in plants, animals and humans. You will also encounter applications of anaerobic respiration in yeast later in the course, when studying biotechnology and food production in Section 5. Make sure to test your knowledge of respiration equations and practical methods with past paper questions to identify any gaps before your exam, as this topic appears frequently in both multiple choice and structured written questions.