Exercise and Anaerobic Respiration

Question 1

When is Anaerobic Respiration used?

Answer 1

When there isn’t enough oxygen

Question 2

What is Anaerobic Respiration?

Answer 2

The incomplete breakdown of glucose, which produces lactic acid

Question 3

What is the equation for Anaerobic Respiration?

Answer 3

Glucose -> Energy + Lactic Acid

Question 4

Why is Anaerobic Respiration not the best way to convert glucose into energy?

Answer 4

Lactic acid builds up in the muscles, which gets painful

Also causes muscle fatigue - the muscles get tired and stop contracting efficiently

Question 5

After resorting to Anaerobic Respiration, when you stop exercising you’ll have an [ ]

Answer 5

Oxygen debt

Question 6

What do you have to do when you have an Oxygen debt?

Answer 6

You have to keep breathing hard for a while after you stop exercising, to get more oxygen into your blood. Blood flows through your muscles to remove the lactic acid by oxidising it to harmless CO2 and water

Question 7

What happens when high levels of CO2 and lactic acid are detected in the blood, by the brain?

Answer 7

The pulse and breathing rate stay high to try and rectify the situation