Respiration (AQA GCSE Biology: Combined Science)

Exam Questions

3 hours15 questions
1a1 mark

Which of the following statements applies to respiration?

  • An endothermic reaction

  • An anabolic reaction

  • An exothermic reaction

  • A combustion reaction

1b2 marks

Figure 1 shows an animal cell.

Figure 1

animal-cell-mitochondria-1

Identify which letter represents the sub-cellular structure where respiration takes place and name the sub-cellular structure.

1c4 marks

Complete the following sentence about respiration:

u_2i9pRC_words

Respiration releases energy from __________ to be used in life processes such as ___________ reactions, __________ contraction and maintaining a constant body ____________.

1d2 marks

Complete Table 1 with a () or a (X) to show the products and reactants of aerobic respiration in animals.

Table 1

  Product Reactant
Oxygen    
Carbon dioxide    
Lactic acid    
Glucose    
Water    
Ethanol    

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2a2 marks

In respiration, energy is released from glucose.

Give two uses, in an animal cell, of the energy released from glucose.

2b1 mark

Earthworms are decomposers which break down dead plant and animal material in the soil.
Decomposition is faster in aerated soil because the earthworms can respire aerobically.

How does aerated soil ensure that the earthworms can respire aerobically?

2c1 mark

Which statement best describes how gases move into the blood stream of the earthworm to be used in respiration.

  • By diffusion down a concentration gradient

  • By diffusion from a low concentration to a high concentration

  • By osmosis down the concentration gradient

  • By active transport from a low concentration to a high concentration

2d1 mark

If the ground becomes waterlogged, the earthworm will start to respire anaerobically. This process is represented by the formula below.

Glucose space rightwards arrow space Lactic space acid

How can you tell from the equation that the process is anaerobic?

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3a1 mark

Figure 2 shows some apparatus set up to investigate anaerobic respiration in yeast.

Figure 2

fermentation-1

Name the process illustrated above that is used in the food industry for beer and wine production.

3b1 mark

Identify the gas in the bubbles produced in by the yeast in Figure 2.

3c2 marks

Suggest why the yeast shown in Figure 2 has been covered in paraffin.

3d4 marks

Complete Table 2 to indicate whether the statements apply to aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration or both.

The first statement has been completed for you.

Table 2

Statement Respiration Type
Produces lactic acid as a waste product  Anaerobic respiration
Produces ethanol when it occurs in yeast  
Releases lots of energy  
Releases energy from glucose  
Increases during intense exercise  

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4a1 mark

Which organ is responsible for removing carbon dioxide from the body?

4b2 marks

Figure 3 shows the effect of exercise on the heart rate and breathing rate of an individual.

Figure 3

breathing-heart-rate-and-exercise-1

Describe the effect of exercise on the heart rate and breathing rate of the individual as shown in Figure 3.

4c2 marks

Identify which of the following two substances are required in greater quantities during exercise.

Tick (✔) two boxes

fQPHHN7r_respiration-tick-box














4d2 marks

Higher Tier Only

During intense exercise, an athlete builds up an oxygen debt.

Describe what is meant by the term 'oxygen debt'.

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5a1 mark

Which of the following statements about metabolism is incorrect?

  • Metabolism is the sum of all the reactions in the cell

  • Many metabolic reactions are catalysed by enzymes

  • Conversion of cellulose to glycogen is an example of metabolism

  • Respiration is a metabolic reaction

5b2 marks

An example of a metabolic reaction is the breakdown of food substances in digestion.

Draw lines from each food substance in Figure 4 to show what each one would be broken down into.

Figure 4

products-of-digestion-question-1

5c2 marks

Some students studied the effect of breathing rate on exercise. The students decided that they should count their breaths over 15 seconds to get the most accurate measurement of the breathing rate.

Table 3

Breathing rate before exercise (breaths per 15 seconds) Breathing rate before exercise (breaths per minute) Breathing rate after exercise (breaths per 15 seconds) Breathing rate after exercise (breaths per minute)
5   8  

Complete Table 3 to show the breathing rate per minute before, and after exercise.

5d2 marks

During exercise, the rate of respiration must increase to provide the muscles with the energy required for contraction.

Explain why the increase in breathing rate shown in table would support the required increase in respiration.

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1a2 marks

The cells of animals require cellular energy.

Write a balanced chemical equation for aerobic respiration in animals.

1b3 marks

Identify three different ways in which animals use the energy released by aerobic respiration.

1c3 marks

In the absence of sufficient oxygen, cells respire anaerobically.

Compare anaerobic respiration in the muscle cell of an animal with anaerobic respiration in a yeast cell.

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2a4 marks

A student reads the following statement in a textbook:

Respiration and metabolism are linked to temperature.’

Explain why this statement is true.

2b2 marks

Describe what happens to the products of respiration during the manufacture of bread.

2c2 marks

In animals, exercise cannot be sustained with anaerobic respiration.

Explain why.

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3a3 marks

Describe and explain the changes that occur in the body during exercise.

3b3 marks

A group of athletes carried out a 9-month training programme.

Figure 1 shows the effect of the same type and amount of exercise on one of the athlete’s heart rate before and after the training programme.

Figure 1

training-programmes-3b

Calculate the percentage change in the athletes heart rate 10 minutes after the start of exercise.

Show your working.

3c5 marks

The volume of blood pumped out of the left side of the heart in one beat is the stroke volume.

Figure 2 shows the relationship between the athlete's stroke volume and heart rate in beats per minute both before and after completing the training programme.

Figure 2

heart-rate-and-exercise-q3c

The cardiac output of the heart can be calculated by:

cardiac output = heart rate × stroke volume

Calculate the difference in cardiac output of the athlete 20 minutes after the start of exercise before and after the training programme. 

Show clearly how you calculated your answer.

3d2 marks

Figure 1 shows that the heart of the athlete after completing the training programme beats more slowly than before the training programme.

Use information from Figure 2 to explain why.

3e3 marks

Explain how an increased cardiac output helps the athlete to maximise their performance.

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4a2 marks

The bar chart in Figure 1 shows what happens in an athlete's muscles when running a 200 m race and a 3000 m race.

Figure 1

bar-chart-200m-and-300m-4a

Compare what happens in the athlete's muscles when running in the two races.

4b2 marks

Explain the differences measured in the muscles of the athlete as shown in Figure 1.

4c2 marks

A woman completes a 100 m sprint.

Figure 2 shows the woman's heart rate before, during and after the race.

Figure 2

heart-rate-and-exercise-q4c

Explain why the woman's heart rate does not return to the resting heart rate as soon as she finishes the race.

4d3 marks

The same woman runs a 400 m race.

Towards the end of the race, her muscles become fatigued and stop contracting efficiently.

Suggest an explanation as to why.

4e2 marks

Higher Tier Only

Outline the role the liver plays in helping the athlete recover from vigorous exercise.

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5a3 marks

The continual enzyme-controlled processes of metabolism involve chemical reactions that synthesise new molecules and break down others in our bodies.

Describe some of these reactions.

5b4 marks

Compare the processes of aerobic and anaerobic respiration in animals.

5c2 marks

During exercise, the rate of respiration in muscle cells increases significantly.

To facilitate this, muscle cells are observed to contain many mitochondria.

Explain this observation.

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1a2 marks
a)

Write the balanced chemical equation for respiration

[2 marks]

1b
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3 marks
b)

Some scientists wanted to investigate respiration rates in different areas of a plant. 

They measured carbon dioxide production in the roots and leaves of a plant at night time. 

Table 1 shows the rate of carbon dioxide production that they measured.

Table 1
Part of the plant Mean rate of carbon dioxide production / cm3 m-2 s-1
Leaves 0.042
Root 0.056

Calculate the percentage difference in carbon dioxide production in the leaves compared to the roots.

[3 marks]

1c3 marks
c)

The carbon dioxide readings shown in Table 1 were all taken during the night time.

Give a reason for this.
[3 marks] 
1d2 marks
d)
Suggest an explanation for the results shown in Table 1.
[2 marks]
1e1 mark
e)

In order to collect the data about carbon dioxide produced by the roots of the plant, scientists took samples of the air from the soil around the plant roots and adjusted it to account for atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Suggest why the readings they took may still be higher than the actual rate of carbon dioxide production in the plant roots.
[1 mark]

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2a4 marks
a)
Compare the processes of aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
[4 marks]
2b3 marks
b)

Figure 1 shows the oxygen and carbon dioxide composition of inhaled air and exhaled air from the lungs.

Figure 1

inhaled-and-exhaled-air-2

Describe and explain the differences between inhaled and exhaled air as shown in Figure 1.
[3 marks]
2c5 marks
c)

The data in Table 2 shows the distribution of blood to different organs of the body before and after exercise.

Table 2

Body part Blood flow at rest / cmmin-1 Blood flow during exercise/ cmmin-1
Digestive system 1200 450
Kidney 800 350
Skin 375 1625
Brain 550 550
Arteries of the heart 125 525
Muscles of the skeleton 725 7975

Explain the reason for the changes in distribution of blood to the arteries of the heart and muscles of the skeleton, as shown in Table 2.

[5 marks]

2d
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2 marks
d)

The largest increase in blood flow during exercise is to the muscles of the skeleton where blood flow is 11 x faster than at rest.

Use the data in Table 2 to show which body part experiences the next greatest increase in blood supply during exercise.
[2 marks]

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3a6 marks
a)

Plan an investigation to test the effect of exercise on heart rate.

You should include the following variables in your method:

  • The independent variable
  • The dependent variable
  • A control variable
[6 marks]
3b4 marks
b)

Some scientists carried out the investigation described in part (a) but also decided to monitor the skin temperature of the athletes throughout the investigation.

Predict what change they would have expected to see throughout the investigation and explain how you reached this prediction.
[4 marks]
3c5 marks
c)

The graph in Figure 2 shows the results collected for one student.

Figure 2

exercise-and-hear-rate-2

With reference to Figure 2, explain the shape of the graph between 2 and 7 minutes.
[5 marks]
3d4 marks
d)

Between minutes 7 and 11 on Figure 2, the heart rate returns to resting rate.

Explain why the heart rate takes 4 minutes to return to resting heart rate.
[4 marks]

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4a5 marks

Higher Tier Only

a)
Some scientists investigated the effect of exercise on the quantity of glycogen in the liver cells before, immediately after exercise, and after a recovery period.

Figure 3 shows the results they collected from a study group in the post exercise recovery phase

Figure 3
glycogen-and-liver-2
Suggest an explanation for the changes in glycogen shown in Figure 3.
[5 marks]
4b1 mark

Higher Tier Only

b)
Cirrhosis of the liver is a disease of the liver often associated with alcohol consumption.

In serious cases of cirrhosis, patients may suffer complete liver failure.

Which statement gives the most likely effect directly as a result liver failure.
[1 mark]
  • Glycogen stores will not be formed in the liver

  • Lactic acid levels will drop in the liver

  • Insulin will not be released into the blood

  • Carbon dioxide levels in the blood will increase

4c
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2 marks
c)

A student used the equipment shown in Figure 4 to investigate the rate of anaerobic respiration in yeast.

Figure 4

anaerobic-respiration-in-yeast-1

The student measured the volume of carbon dioxide produced by 5 g of yeast over a 60 minute period. His results are shown in Table 3.

Table 3

Time / minutes Total volume of gas collected / cm3
10 0.5
20 0.7
30 1.6
40 2.8
50 5.9
60 6.3

Calculate the rate of carbon dioxide production in cm3 g-1min-1 for the first 30 minutes of the investigation.

[2 marks]

4d3 marks
d)
With reference to the data in Table 3, suggest why the rate of carbon dioxide production decreased between 50 and 60 minutes.
[3 marks]

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5a4 marks
a)
Explain the effect of temperature on the rate of metabolic reactions in the body.
[4 marks]
5b4 marks
b)

Explain the importance of the role respiration plays in thermoregulation.

[4 marks]

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