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Structured Qn 1a

Pure Biology
TYS Unit 2.5A Diaphragm must appear dome-shaped, base of
Respiration: Gaseous Exchange
diaphragm must be at the base of ribcage.

Structured Qn 1bi
•  Balloons will inflate [1/2]
•  When the rubber sheet is pulled down, the
volume inside the bell jar increases,
decreasing the pressure;
•  Surrounding air outside the jar has a higher
pressure and moves into the balloons [1/2]

Structured Qn 1bii Structured Qn 2

•  Walls of the bell jar are rigid and do not (a) A: Alveolus
move while the ribs move during breathing;
• B: Capillary
•  Rubber sheet does not arch upwards while
diaphragm arches upwards during • C: Red blood cell
expiration; (b) During inhalation:
•  Balloons representing the lungs consist of • External intercostal muscles contract
only 1 chamber each while the lungs have • Ribs rise
many alveoli;

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Structured Qn 2c
• The molecule of oxygen dissolves in the layer
of moisture lining the wall of the alveolus;
• The molecule then diffuses across the one-cell
thick alveolar wall and one-cell thick
endothelium (capillary wall) down a
concentration gradient;
• The molecule then enters into blood plasma,
diffuses into the cytoplasm of the red blood cell
(E) and binds reversibly with haemoglobin;
Structured Qn 3
• (a) 5 x (60/20) = 15 breaths/min
• (b)(i) C and E
• (b)(ii) Points C and E marks the end of
exhalation and inhalation respectively,
where there is no change in volume of air in
the lungs, indicating an equal pressure in
the lungs compared to pressure in the
surrounding air;
Breathing: Summary
External  • Should have a higher frequency & volume
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Structured Qn 2d
•  There would be no change in the % oxygen in
inspired air which remains at 20.5% [1/2]
•  But the % oxygen in expired air would increase from
16.5% to a higher value (but lower than 20.5%) [1/2]
•  This is because a person who has an iron deficiency
might develop anaemia, as iron is required for
haemoglobin synthesis;
•  A decrease in haemoglobin levels would mean less
oxygen would be taken up into the blood from inspired
air in the alveoli, leading to a higher % of oxygen in
expired air;
Structured Qn 3c
• (i) The volume of air is increasing from 2 dm3 to 2.5 dm3
across a period of 2 seconds;
• (ii) The increase in volume of air is due to inhalation, in
which the external intercostal muscles contract and the
internal intercostal muscles relax;
• causing the ribs to swing upwards and outwards [1/2]
• The diaphragm contracts, and flattens [1/2]
• This increases volume of the thoracic cavity and
pressure drops [1/2]
• Lungs expand and pressure in the lungs decreases
below pressure in surrounding air;
• Air outside the body rushes/drawn into the lungs [1/2]
Structured Qn 3d
• Line extends for 12 seconds on the graph
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Structured Qn 4
Essay Qn 1a
• Layer of moisture that is secreted by the cells of
the alveolar wall, that allow gases in the air to
dissolves in to facilitate diffusion;
• One-cell thick alveolar wall reduces diffusion
distance for faster diffusion of oxygen and
carbon dioxide;
• Large surface area to allow faster diffusion; or
• Richly supplied with blood to maintain diffusion
gradient;
Essay Qn 2a
• i) The Diaphragm
• A dome-shaped sheet of muscle & elastic tissue,
separating the thorax from the abdomen;
• During inhalation, the muscles contract, the diaphragm
flattens downwards; increasing the volume of the
thoracic cavity [1/2]
• During exhalation, the muscles relax, the diaphragm
arches upwards; again to reduce the volume of the
thoracic cavity [1/2]
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Structured Qn 4
Comments:
Some candidates drew several arrows for
both oxygen and carbon dioxide and
sometimes lost marks through carelessly
leaving one of the oxygen arrows just short
of a red blood cell, or simply ending in the
plasma.
Essay Qn 1b
• The lining of the trachea has:
• C-shaped rings of cartilage that enable it to stay
open to conduct air;
• Gland cells in its lining that secrete mucus which
helps to trap dust & foreign particles in the air;
• And cilia in its lining that sweep the mucus
containing the particles up to the pharynx;
Essay Qn 2a
• ii) Between the ribs are 2 sets of antagonistic muscles –
the external & internal intercostal muscles
• During inhalation, the external intercostal muscles
contract and internal intercostal muscles relax;
• Ribs swing upwards and outwards [1/2]
• During exhalation, the external intercostal muscles relax
and internal intercostal muscles contract;
• Ribs swing downwards and inwards [1/2]
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Essay Qn 2b
• Cilia lines the trachea and sweeps the mucus;
containing the dust/foreign particles up to the
pharynx;
Essay Qn 4
Carbon Monoxide binds readily and irreversibly to
Haemoglobin. reducing the ability of Hb to bind with
oxygen;
The oxygen carrying capacity of maternal blood is
reduced hence reducing the supply of oxygen to the
foetus via the placenta;
Insufficient oxygen hinders cell metabolism and
hence tissue growth, leading to compromise of child’s
development;
Vague answers such as “hinder child’s development” or “suffocate baby”
not advised, be specific in naming the effect on a biological process.
Structured Question 1
i)  71-20 = 51 cm3/kg/min
The most common error was to give
incomplete units, such as ‘cm 3 ’, although some
misread the value as 50, rather than 51.
ii) 55-15 = 40 mins
iii) Anaerobic respiration
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Essay Qn3
• One method of study is to track non-smokers and
smokers over a length of time (retrospective case
studies) to verify the correlation between smoking
and risk of getting lung cancer. The studies can
also be differentiated between the numbers of
cigarettes smoked to establish whether heavier
smoking increases the risk of lung cancer.
• Another method is to study whether the chemicals
contained in cigarette smoke have carcinogenic
characteristics.
Pure Biology
TYS Unit 2.5B
Respiration II
1b(iv)
iv) After strenuous exercise, the body incurs an
oxygen debt as the oxygen demand exceeded the
oxygen uptake during exercise. [1]
Oxygen levels remain high after exercise as
oxygen is used to oxidise some lactic acid to
produce energy to convert the rest of the lactic acid
accumulated to glucose. [1]
Comments: Candidates, having already been awarded the oxygen
debt mark, often went on to describe how the debt was created, rather
than answering the question posed, by explaining why the additional
oxygen was needed after the exercise. The more able candidates who
did this, often gave an excellent and detailed explanation as to the fate
of lactic acid.
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Unit 2.5B Essay Qn 1
 Anaerobic respiration refers to the
processes occurring in living cells;
 Which involves the breakdown of food for
the release of energy (as ATP);
 In the absence of Oxygen;
Unit 2.5B Essay Qn 2
• ai) The body uses energy for active
transport processes like absorbing
important food molecules in the small
intestine against a concentration gradient.
• Another important process where energy
is used in the synthesis of new protoplasm
to make new cells (synthesis of complex
molecules).
Unit 2.5B Essay Qn 2
• b) During a sprint race, there is a very high
demand for oxygen by respiring muscle tissue.
The rate of breathing as well as the heart rate
cannot provide sufficient oxygen to these
muscles. Thus, muscle tissue must rely on
anaerobic respiration to provide the energy
required by the muscle. However, the amount of
energy can only be provided for a short period of
time as lactic acid builds up and oxygen debt
occurs. (Anaerobic is the primary not exclusive,
metabolic system to support high intensity but
short duration work)
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Unit 2.5B Essay Qn 1
 In yeast, anaerobic respiration produces
ethanol and carbon dioxide;
 In skeletal muscle in man, anaerobic
respiration produces lactic acid;
 As the products of anaerobic respiration
are more complex; than those produced
during aerobic respiration, only a small
amount of energy is released;
Unit 2.5B Essay Qn 2
• aii) Anaerobic respiration does not require
the presence of oxygen whereas aerobic
respiration requires oxygen.
• Anaerobic respiration produces a small
amount of energy whereas aerobic
respiration produces a large amount of
energy.
Unit 2.5B Essay Qn 2
• During a long distance race, the pace is much
slower than a sprint and so the rate of oxygen
demand is much less though oxygen is will be
required for a longer period of time. Thus, the
heart rate and rate of breathing can provide
sufficient oxygen to the aerobically respiring
muscles. This allows the runner to run for a
much longer period of time as lactic acid and
oxygen debt build up is much slower. (Aerobic is
the primary not exclusive, metabolic system to
support lower intensity but longer duration work)
• 
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