Respiration and gas exchange – basic principles
How it works
Respiration is a vital process in which oxygen is taken in from the environment and carbon dioxide is released. In humans, gas exchange takes place mainly in the alveoli, where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes from the blood into the air we breathe. The exchange occurs by diffusion along a concentration gradient. Plants carry out gas exchange through stomata and take in oxygen for cellular respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Single-celled organisms also exchange gases directly through the cell membrane. Respiration differs from cellular respiration, in which oxygen is used in the cells to produce energy.
Gas exchange is the process in which oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged by diffusion between an organism and the environment, with the site of exchange and the direction varying according to the living thing and the metabolic process.
An example
Where does the actual gas exchange take place in humans?
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Biology. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.