Topic: Respiratory System
Introduction
Respiration is defined as a biochemical activity of the cell in which glucose is broken down by a series of reactions controlled by enzymes to release energy.
Your respiratory system is made up of the organs in your body that help you to breathe. Respiration means Breathing. The goal of breathing is to deliver oxygen to the body and to take away carbon dioxide. The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system.
Oxygen is breathed in and it breaks down the food substances (glucose) to release energy, carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide and water are regarded as waste products of respiration. The energy so released is used by living organisms for various life processes. This occur inside a tiny organelle called the mitochondrion.
Phases or Stages of Respiration
Respiration takes place in two phases or stages. These are external and internal (tissue) respiration
External respiration (Breathing): Is defined as the exchange of gases between the environment and the respiratory organs of living organisms. It simply involves the breathing in of air or oxygen into the respiratory organs such as lungs or gills otherwise called inspiration or inhalation and the breathing out of carbon dioxide and water vapour into the atmosphere otherwise called expiration or exhalation.
Internal (Tissue) respiration: Is defined as the oxidation of organic food substances within the cells leading to the release of energy, carbon dioxide and water. It takes place when the oxygen taken in is used up by the individual cells in the body for the oxidation of food substances. Carbon dioxide, water and energy are given out by these cells in return.
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