Breathing, respiration and gas exchange
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the differences between breathing, respiration and gas exchange.
Key learning points
- Humans and other animals breathe to move air in and out of their lungs.
- Cells need oxygen from the air for cellular respiration, to provide energy for life processes.
- Cellular respiration produces carbon dioxide as a waste product.
- Oxygen needs to be absorbed into, and carbon dioxide needs to be removed from, the human body.
- In gas exchange, oxygen diffuses from the lungs into the blood; carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the lungs.
Keywords
Breathing - Breathing is the process in which air moves in and out of the lungs.
Lungs - The lungs are a pair of organs found in humans and some other animals.
Cellular respiration - Cellular respiration is a chemical process in cells, which uses sugar as a fuel to provide energy for life processes.
Mitochondria - Subcellular structures, called mitochondria, use sugar and oxygen for cellular respiration.
Gas exchange - The process of oxygen diffusing from the lungs to the blood and carbon dioxide diffusing from the blood to the lungs is called gas exchange.
Common misconception
Breathing and respiration are the same thing.
This lesson explores the differences between breathing, respiration and gas exchange, including what they are and where they take place.
Teacher tip
Saying "cellular respiration" rather than just "respiration" can help to reinforce understanding that it is a chemical process that takes place in cells (in contrast to breathing: a mechanical process carried out by organs including the lungs).
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do humans need to breathe in, to stay alive?
Q2. is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Q3.Which of the following is the place inside a cell where cellular respiration takes place?
Q4.The human body...
Q5.Which of the following is used by the body as a source of energy?
Q6.Oxygen is transported from the lungs to cells around the body by travelling in the .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is in the air we breathe in?
Q2.What is in the air we breathe out?
Q3.Which process involves moving air into the lungs?
Q4.Which process takes place in the mitochondria of cells?
Q5.Which process involves diffusion of gases between air sacs in the lungs and blood vessels?
Q6.Which process produces carbon dioxide as a waste product and provides energy for life processes in cells?
To help you plan your 9 science lesson on: Breathing, respiration and gas exchange, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 science lesson on: Breathing, respiration and gas exchange, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Breathing and respiration unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.