Respiration: releasing energy
Every cell in every living thing needs a constant supply of energy — and respiration is the process that releases it from food.
Part of your national curriculum
- Biology: material cycles and energy: Understand aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Understand aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life
Key learning points
- • Aerobic respiration
- • Anaerobic respiration
- • Why respiration matters
This lesson at a glance
- 26 minutes
- 17 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 17
Visual introductionPicture this
Respiration: releasing energy
Every cell in every living thing needs a constant supply of energy — and respiration is the process that releases it from food.
In a nutshell
Understand aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Aerobic respiration
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
Aerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration uses oxygen to fully break down glucose, releasing a large amount of energy: glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water (+ energy). It happens continuously in almost all living cells and powers processes like movement, growth and keeping warm.
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
Anaerobic respiration
When oxygen is in short supply, such as during intense exercise, muscle cells respire anaerobically: glucose → lactic acid (+ energy). This releases much less energy per glucose molecule and lactic acid build-up causes muscle fatigue.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Why respiration matters
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Why respiration matters
The energy released by respiration is used for every other chemical process needed for life, including building large molecules, moving substances against a concentration gradient, and muscle contraction. Without respiration, no other life process could continue.
Quick check
Part 11 of 17
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 17
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 14 of 17
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
____ respiration uses oxygen to fully break down glucose, releasing a large amount of energy: glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water (+ energy).
It happens continuously in almost all ____ cells and powers processes like movement, growth and keeping warm.
The energy released by ____ is used for every other chemical process needed for life, including building large molecules, moving substances against a concentration gradient, and muscle contraction.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
What are the products of aerobic respiration?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Respiration: releasing energy
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. What are the products of aerobic respiration?
2. Why does anaerobic respiration release less energy than aerobic?
3. What causes muscle fatigue during intense exercise?
4. Aerobic respiration produces
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
Not sat
Games
Not played
Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 17 · Watch & discover
How this is going
- Not looked at yet
Understand aerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life