AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Q1.
Figure 1 shows a model used to demonstrate human breathing.

Figure 1

(a) Which part of the breathing system is represented by the glass tube?

Tick (✓) one box.

Alveoli

Capillaries

Lung

Trachea

(1)

The model in Figure 1 represents the human breathing system.

A teacher said:

“The model does not represent the human breathing system very well.”

(b) Give two reasons why the teacher is correct.

1 _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2 _________________________________________________________

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________
(2)

A scientist investigated the effect of exercise on breathing rate.

This is the method used.

1. Record the breathing rates of 10 male non-smokers at rest.
2. Tell each man to run on a treadmill at the same speed for 8 minutes.
3. Record the breathing rate of each man every 2 minutes.
4. Continue to record the breathing rate of each man for 4 minutes after he
stops running.

(c) Give two variables the scientist controlled in the investigation.

1 _________________________________________________________

2 _________________________________________________________
(2)

Figure 2 shows the data collected from one of the men.

Figure 2

(d) Calculate the percentage increase in the man’s breathing rate between 0
minutes and 8 minutes.

Use the equation:

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Percentage increase = _______________ %

(3)

(e) Explain why the man’s breathing rate increased when he was running.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(f) Give one measurement that could be taken to show a different effect of
exercise on the body.

Do not refer to breathing rate in your answer.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(g) The men in the investigation were all non-smokers.

Give one effect that smoking can have on the body.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 12 marks)

Q2.
All living organisms respire.

(a) What is the chemical equation for aerobic respiration?

Tick (✓) one box.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

6 O2 + 6 CO2 → 6 H2O + C6H12O6

6 H2O + C6H12O6 → 6 H2O + 6 CO2

6 H2O + 6 CO2 → 6 O2 + C6H12O6

6 O2 + C6H12O6 → 6 H2O + 6 CO2

(1)

(b) Name the sub-cellular structures where aerobic respiration takes place.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) Energy is released in respiration.

Give two uses of the energy released in respiration.

1 _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2 _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(d) Describe two differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration in

humans.

Do not refer to oxygen in your answer.

1 _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2 _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(e) What are the two products of anaerobic respiration in plant cells?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

Carbon dioxide

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Ethanol

Glucose

Lactic acid

Water

(2)

A scientist investigated respiration and photosynthesis using some pondweed

and a pond snail.

Figure 1 shows the apparatus used.

Figure 1

The apparatus was left in a well-lit room for 5 days.

The data logger recorded the concentration of carbon dioxide continuously.

After 5 days, the scientist completely covered the boiling tube with black paper.

The data logger continued to record the concentration of carbon dioxide.

Figure 2 shows the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the boiling tube over
15 days.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Figure 2

(f) Explain why the concentration of carbon dioxide in the tube stayed the
same between day 0 and day 5.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(g) Suggest why the concentration of carbon dioxide increased between day 5
and day 10.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(h) On day 10, the pond snail died.

Explain why the death of the pond snail caused the concentration of
carbon dioxide to increase after day 10.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 14 marks)

Q3.
A 45-year-old man exercised on a rowing machine for six minutes.

A fitness monitor recorded his heart rate and breathing rate every minute.

The graph below shows the results.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

(a) Describe the trend for breathing rate shown in graph.

Use data from the graph in your answer.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________
(3)

(b) The safe maximum heart rate for a person exercising can be calculated
using the equation:

safe maximum heart rate = 220 – age in years

Calculate the safe maximum heart rate for the man.

___________________________________________________________

Safe maximum heart rate = __________ beats per minute

(1)

(c) What is the man’s maximum heart rate?

Use the graph above.

Man’s maximum heart rate = __________ beats per minute

(1)

(d) The man concluded that he was exercising at a safe heart rate.

Give the reason for his conclusion.

Use your answers from part (b) and part (c)

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(e) Explain the ways the man’s body has responded to the exercise.

Use information from the graph above.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(6)
(Total 12 marks)

Q4.
A student investigated respiration in yeast.

This is the method used.

1. Add 5 cm3 of a yeast and water mixture to each measuring cylinder.

2. Add different masses of sugar to each measuring cylinder.

3. Mix the contents of each measuring cylinder gently for 5 seconds.

4. Put the measuring cylinders in a water bath at 25 °C

5. Over the next 20 minutes, record the maximum volume the foam reaches in
each measuring cylinder.

The figure below shows the student’s results.

(a) Which two variables did the student control in the method?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Mass of sugar

pH of the mixture

Temperature

Volume of foam

Volume of yeast and

water
(2)

The following table shows the results.

Mass of Maximum
sugar in g volume in cm3
0 5
1 23
2 X
3 31

(b) What is value X in the table?

Use the figure above.

X = ____________________ cm3
(1)

In the investigation, the yeast respires and releases a gas which causes the
foam to rise.

(c) Which gas causes the foam to rise?

Tick (✓) one box.

Carbon dioxide

Hydrogen

Nitrogen

Oxygen

(1)

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

(d) What conclusion can you make about the relationship between the mass of
sugar used and the volume of gas produced?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(e) Why was no foam produced in the mixture with 0 g of sugar?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(f) Why was the measuring cylinder with 0 g of sugar included in the
investigation?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(g) The top of the mixture can be covered with a layer of oil after step 3 in the
method.

Suggest why the layer of oil stops the yeast respiring aerobically.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(h) What other substance is produced during anaerobic respiration in yeast?

Tick (✓) one box.

Ethanol

Hydrochloric acid

Lactic acid

Water

(1)

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

(Total 9 marks)

Q5.
Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions in the cells of the body.

One metabolic reaction is the formation of lipids.

(a) Give one other metabolic reaction in cells.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

Table 1 shows the mean metabolic rate of humans of different ages.

Table 1

Mean metabolic rate in

Age in kJ/m2/hour
years
Males Females

5 53 53

15 45 42

25 39 35

35 37 35

45 36 35

(b) What two conclusions can be made from the data in Table 1?

Tick two boxes.

As age increases, mean metabolic rate of males

and females increases.

Males have a higher metabolic rate than females

after five years of age.

The mean metabolic rate of females decreases

faster than males up to 25 years of age.

The mean metabolic rate of males and females

decreases more quickly after the age of 35.

There is no relationship between age and mean

metabolic rate.
(2)

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

(c) Calculate the percentage decrease in the mean metabolic rate of males
between 5 years and 45 years of age.

Use the equation:

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Percentage decrease = ___________________

(3)

Regular exercise can increase metabolic rate.

Two people did five minutes of gentle exercise from rest.

Table 2 shows the effect of the exercise on their heart rates.

Table 2

Heart rate in beats per

Time in minute
minutes
Person R Person S

0 (at rest) 60 78

1 76 100

2 85 110

3 91 119

4 99 129

5 99 132

(d) Describe two differences in the response of person R and person S to the
exercise.

Use information from Table 2.

1.
__________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

2.
__________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(e) Complete the line graph below for person S.

You should:

• add the scale to the x axis

• label the x axis.

(4)

(f) After five minutes of exercise, the heart rate of person S was 132 beats per
minute. When person S rested, his heart rate decreased steadily at a rate
of 12 beats every minute.

Calculate how much time it would take the heart rate of person S to return
to its resting rate.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Time = ___________________ minutes

(2)

(g) A student made the following hypothesis about the heart rate of smokers
and non-smokers during exercise.

“During exercise, the heart rate of smokers increases more than

the heart rate of non-smokers.”

Design an investigation that would allow you to test this hypothesis.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________
(6)
(Total 20 marks)

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Q6.
Glucose is broken down in respiration.

(a) What is the chemical formula for glucose?

Tick one box.

C6H6O6

C3H6O3

C6H12O6

C6H10O6

(1)

The diagram shows the apparatus a student used to investigate aerobic

respiration.

Limewater goes cloudy when carbon dioxide is added to it.

(b) After 10 minutes the limewater in flask B was cloudy, but the limewater in
flask A remained colourless.

Explain why.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) Flask A acts as a control in this investigation.

What is the purpose of a control?

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(d) The student repeated the investigation with no woodlice.

Describe the appearance of the limewater in flask A and flask B after 10

minutes.

Flask A
___________________________________________________________
_

___________________________________________________________

Flask B
___________________________________________________________
_

___________________________________________________________
(2)

Anaerobic respiration is another form of respiration in living organisms.

(e) What is produced during anaerobic respiration in humans?

Tick one box.

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide and lactic acid

Lactic acid

Oxygen and water

(1)

(f) Complete the equation for anaerobic respiration in yeast.

glucose ⟶ carbon dioxide +

________________________
(1)
(Total 8 marks)

Q7.
Anaerobic respiration happens in muscle cells and yeast cells.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

The equation describes anaerobic respiration in muscle cells.

glucose lactic acid

(a) How can you tell from the equation that this process is anaerobic?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) Exercise cannot be sustained when anaerobic respiration takes place in

muscle cells.

Explain why.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) The diagram below shows an experiment to investigate anaerobic

respiration in yeast cells.

What gas will bubble into Tube B?

Tick one box.

Carbon dioxide

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Nitrogen

Oxygen

Water vapour

(1)

(d) Describe how you could use tube B to measure the rate of the reaction in
tube A.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(e) Anaerobic respiration in yeast is also called fermentation.

Fermentation produces ethanol.

Give one use of fermentation in the food industry.

___________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 7 marks)

Q8.
All living cells respire.

(a) Respiration transfers energy from glucose for muscle contraction.

Describe how glucose from the small intestine is moved to a muscle cell.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) The diagram below shows an experiment to investigate anaerobic

respiration in yeast cells.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

What is the purpose of the liquid paraffin in Tube A?

Tick one box.

To prevent evaporation

To stop air getting in

To stop the temperature

going up

To stop water getting in

(1)

(c) The indicator solution in Tube B shows changes in the concentration of

carbon dioxide (CO2).

The indicator is:

• blue when the concentration of CO2 is very low

• green when the concentration of CO2 is low

• yellow when the concentration of CO2 is high.

What colour would you expect the indicator to be in Tube B during

maximum rate of anaerobic respiration?

Tick one box.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

Blue

Green

Yellow

(1)

(d) Suggest how the experiment could be changed to give a reproducible way
to measure the rate of the reaction.

Include any apparatus you would use.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(2)

(e) Compare anaerobic respiration in a yeast cell with anaerobic respiration in

a muscle cell.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

Q9.
An athlete ran as fast as he could until he was exhausted.

(a) Figure 1 shows the concentrations of glucose and of lactic acid in the
athlete’s blood at the start and at the end of the run.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

(i) Lactic acid is made during anaerobic respiration.

What does anaerobic mean?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Give evidence from Figure 1 that the athlete respired anaerobically
during the run.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(1)

(b) Figure 2 shows the effect of running on the rate of blood flow through the
athlete’s muscles.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

(i) For how many minutes did the athlete run?

Time = ______________________ minutes

(1)

(ii) Describe what happens to the rate of blood flow through the athlete’s
muscles during the run.

Use data from Figure 2 in your answer.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(2)

(iii) Explain how the change in blood flow to the athlete’s muscles helps
him to run.

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AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________
(4)
(Total 9 marks)

Q10.
The diagram below shows an alveolus from a healthy lung and an alveolus from
a damaged lung.

(a) Which one of the following is a difference between the alveolus from the
damaged lung and the alveolus from the healthy lung?

Tick (✔) one box.

The damaged alveolus has a smaller surface

area.

The damaged alveolus has a shorter diffusion

pathway.

Page 25 of 26
AQA Biology GCSE - Respiration

The damaged alveolus has a better blood

supply.
(1)

(b) A person with damaged alveoli finds exercising difficult.

Which one of the following is the reason why the damaged alveoli will
make exercising difficult?

Tick (✔) one box.

Less carbon dioxide is taken in.

Less energy is needed for exercise.

Less oxygen is taken in.

(1)
(Total 2 marks)

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