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External Respiration
DOMINGO,GALOS,GENUINO,HILVANO,LAPIRA,LOZANO

Abstract

The rate of breathing, being a function of metabolic activity of an

organism, is under control by the brains medulla oblongata, which in turn, is affected by the bloods pH. As the CO2 concentration in the blood increases, it becomes slightly acidic.

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment is to clarify the relationship of the breathing rate with the CO2 concentration. To show this relationship, we expose a test subject to various situations of alteration of temperature, and letting the subject expend energy. These various alterations will vary the amount of CO2 present inside the organism, thus stimulating a change in breathing phase. As a conclusion to the experiment, temperature is directly proportional to the breathing rate and a subject exposed to strenuous activity will most likely expend more of the product formed in its systems metabolic processes, thus increasing breathing rate.

Abstract

The experiment has shown that increase in temperature will hasten chemical processes which in turn increase the amount of CO2 in the system, thus increasing the organisms breathing rate. On the other hand, decreasing the temperature slows down metabolc processes and thus decreases the breathing rate. Also, a subject exposed to strenuous activity will show increase in breathing rate because it expended more of the product formed in the metabolic processes. These results imply that the breathing rate is directly proportional to the concentration of CO2 inside the system.

I. Introduction

One of the requirements for the production of ATP in animals is the presence of fresh oxygen in the body. Terrestrial animals fulfill this requirement through a process called external respiration, more

commonly known as breathing. Air from the environment is taken in

the body, and is sent through respiratory structures.

I. Introduction

It is brought into contact with respiratory membranes, where the

required oxygen is transmitted into the bloodstream. Waste gases, such as carbon dioxide, are expelled from the body through these respiratory structures as well.

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In most terrestrial animals, external I. Introduction respiration starts with the flattening of the diaphragm. The suction effect this has allows air to enter the respiratory system. It first passes into the nasal cavity, where the air is

filtered for dirt and other unwanted solids. It

then passes through the pharynx, and enters the larynx when the glottis opens to allow air through.

I. Introduction

Air then passes through the trachea, the bronchi, the bronchial tubes, and finally the bronchioles, where the alveoli facilitate the transfer of gases into and out of the bloodstream. The relaxation of

the diaphragm then allows the waste gases to be expelled into the
environment.

9 Because the production of ATP highly depends

on external respiration, the rate at which one

I. Introduction

performs external respiration is affected by the

amount of metabolic activity in the body. Strenuous activities, such as running, causes the

body to breath faster in order to accommodate

the large demand of ATP. When one is sleepy, the body induces yawning in order to gather the ATP

necessary to stay awake; when one sleeps, the

rate of breathing becomes slower (though not by a significant amount.)

In this exercise, the groups objectives were to:

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measure the breathing rate of an individual produced

relate the breathing rate to the amount of carbon dioxide

determine how exercise affects breathing rate

determine how temperature affects breathing rate

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Objectives

Objectives 1 3 were fulfilled by comparing the relative rates of breathing after performing different physical activities. Objective 4 was completed by comparing the relative rates of breathing of a goldfish in different thermal conditions.

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100 ml of lime water (saturated calcium hydroxide in water) was poured into a 125ml capacity Erlenmeyer flask, making sure

II. Methodology
Part 1

to slowly dilute the flask with water while

shaking when the solution was too cloudy.

Effect of Physical Activity on Breathing Rate

A drinking straw was inserted into the flask. The lime solution was blown into, breathing normally. Changes were observed as the clear solution became cloudy.

The number of breaths in one minute after a student had performed the following

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exercises was counted by his/her partner.

II. Methodology
Part 1

Normal, unforced breathing while sitting

down
Unforced breathing while sitting down

Effect of Physical Activity on Breathing Rate

after 100 jumping jacks

Unforced breathing while sitting down

after holding one's breath for as long as possible.

The preceding exercises were repeated. This time, a flask of

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limewater (100 ml) was blown into by

II. Methodology
Part 1

the student performing the

exercises, and the time it took for the

Effect of Physical Activity on Breathing Rate

clear solution to turn cloudy was

recorded. The count was stopped the

moment the solution began to change.

A jar was filled with a sufficient

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amount of dechlorinated water, and a fish was placed in it. The

II. Methodology
Part 2

temperature of the water was

measured with a thermometer.

Effect of Temperature on Breathing Rate

The aquatic breathing rate of the fish

was determined by counting the

number of times the operculum

opens and closes in one time.

The jar containing the fish was

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transferred and immersed in an ice bath. The temperature of the water

II. Methodology
Part 2

in the jar and the aquatic breathing

rate of the fish were determined.

Effect of Temperature on Breathing Rate

The jar was removed from the ice

bath and the temperature was

allowed to return to room

temperature.

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The jar was placed in a warm water bath (about 37 degrees Celsius.) The

II. Methodology
Part 2

temperature of the water and the

Effect of Temperature on Breathing Rate

breathing rate of the fish were

determined.

III. Results and Discussion (Physical Activity)

The data obtained from the exercise is tabulated below.
Activity Sitting After exercise Holding breath Breathing Rate 13 breaths/min 29 breaths/min 16 breaths/min Minimum Time for Lime 31 seconds 21 seconds 25 seconds

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1. Explain what happened to the clear solution of CaOH after one had blown air into it. Show the chemical equation.

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The solution of lime water began to turn murky white after it was breathed into a few times. The chemical reaction that occurred is as follows: Ca(OH)2 + CO2 CaCO3 + H2

1. Explain what happened to the clear solution of CaOH after one had blown air into it. Show the chemical equation.

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The calcium hydroxide in the lime water solution reacted with the
carbon dioxide that came from the expiration of air from the lungs of the student who breathed into the flask. The results were water, and calcium carbonate; it was the presence of calcium carbonate in the solution that turned it murky white.

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2. What does the above procedure mean, is it accurate?

The procedure above was meant to measure the rate of external

respiration of a person after different physical activities of increasing

degree of stress on the body. Although the experiment can yield relatively accurate results qualitatively, there are a few factors that limit the credibility of the results:

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2. What does the above procedure mean, is it accurate?

The first is that the student performing the exercises was aware of
the experiment. Our normal rate of breathing, relaxed or after exercise, is mostly involuntary. When one is aware of his/her breathing, he/she cannot be expected to exhibit his/her normal rate of breathing. This affects the results greatly.

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2. What does the above procedure mean, is it accurate?

The second is that the results will differ between people. People

who are relatively healthy will not exhibit a change in breathing as

drastic as those who are not physically active after exercise.

3. What relationship exists between breathing rate and activity performed by the student?

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As the physical activity performed became more relatively taxing

on the body, the breathing rate increased.

The breathing rate after holding one's breath was not significantly greater than normal; the difference in breathing rate was

very large, however, after the one hundred jumping jacks.

4. What relationship exists between the rate of change in the solution and the activity performed by the student?

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The rate of change of color of the solution increased with the

relative difficulty of the exercise.

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4. What relationship exists between the two sets of data?

The data shows that the difficulty of the physical activity, breathing rate, and rate of change of

color of the solution are proportional to each other.

As the body increases its metabolic and systemic output to accommodate the student's strenuous activity, the rate of consumption of ATP increases. The body expels CO2 at a faster rate

as a result; this caused the increase in rate of change of color of the lime water solution. The
increased demand of O2 and the increased amount of expelled CO2 also demanded a faster rate of breathing.

III. Results and Discussion (Temperature)

The data obtained from the exercise is tabulated below.
Activity Room Temperature Cold Water Bath Warm Water Bath Temperature 23o C 20o C 37o C 1st 104 89 158 2nd 100 84 128 3rd 110 87 149

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1. Based on your tabulated data, how does temperature affect the breathing rate of an organism? Explain.

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As a general trend, the breathing rate of the goldfish decreases with temperature.

1. Based on your tabulated data, how does temperature affect the breathing rate of an organism? Explain.

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Because goldfish are cold-blooded animals, their biological processes are under the

control of external forces (the temperature.) Most chemical processes occur faster at
higher temperatures than they do at lower ones, especially the ones dealing with metabolization. In this case, the goldfish are metabolizing their food at a faster rate at higher temperature, so need to respire faster. They are also far more active at the higher temperature, again, because they can metabolize their food faster.

2. The fish is a poikilotherm. Would a relatively small increase in the temperature have as much effect on the breathing rate of a homeotherm? Explain.
The small increase in temperature would not have as much
Poikilotherm
- an organism that cannot regulate its body temperature except by behavioral means

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effect on the breathing rate of a homeotherm, or warm-blooded,

organism. Homeothermy is internal thermoregulation regardless of external influence; as such metabolic activity inside a warm-blooded

Homeotherm

- an organism that can regulate its body temperature by metabolic means

organism such as a human will continue at a relatively constant rate

regardless of temperature. Thus respiration will not increase or decrease drastically because of changes in temperature.

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IV. Conclusion

The production of ATP in organisms is highly dependent on the external respiration of the organism. Thus, the rate of respiration in an animal is greatly affected by many environmental factors. As a useful rule of the thumb: as metabolic activity in an animal increases, the required external

respiration in order to maintain that metabolic activity increases.

Environmental factors that affect the rate of respiration are the difficulty of physical activity, and the external temperature (for poikilotherm.)

Biology 10 (General Biology) Laboratory Manual. Department of Biology - College of Arts and Sciences - University of the Philippines, Manila. Print.

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Campbell, N.A., Reece, J.B. & Meyers, N. (2006). Biology. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education.

Delos Reyes, J. (2006). Introduction to Biology: Principles and Processes (6th ed.). Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila.
Klein, David R. (2012). Organic Chemistry. United States of America: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

References