Aerobic Respiration
Complete the description of aerobic respiration using the words in the box.
Some words may be used more than once.
Key Words
aerobic breathingbloodcarbohydrates
carbon dioxidecellscontractdigestive
energy fertiliseglucoselungs
mitochondria oxygenreactionwater
Aerobic respiration is a chemical _____________________ that breaks down glucose in the presence
of _____________________ to release _____________________. The products of the reaction are carbon
dioxide and _____________________.
The reaction can be summarised in the word equation below:
_____________________ + oxygen
_____________________ + water (+ energy)
Aerobic respiration occurs in the _________________________ of most cells. In the human body,
some cells are specialised to contain many of these sub-cellular structures because they require
a lot of _____________________ to carry out their functions. For example, muscle cells need to
release energy to be able to _____________________ and relax to bring about movement. Another
example is sperm cells, which require lots of energy in order to swim towards an egg cell to
___________________ it.
The word _____________________ means ‘requiring oxygen’. In humans, oxygen is obtained from
the air through the process of _____________________. When you inhale, air is drawn into the
________________ and oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the __________________. This oxygen is
then transported around the body in the circulatory system to the _________________ that need it.
The _____________________ used in respiration is obtained from food. When you eat foods rich in
_________________________, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta, these are broken down by the
__________________ system to release glucose. The glucose is absorbed into the __________________
through the walls of the small intestine to be transported to the cells that need it.