The Respiratory System | Edexcel A-Level Physical Education (9PE0)
The Respiratory System
- 58 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 1: scientific principles of physical education
- Component 1
The Respiratory System is examined in Component 1, Scientific principles of physical education.
It covers structure of the airways and alveoli, the mechanics of breathing, gas exchange, partial pressure and diffusion and lung volumes and capacities.
Sample questions from The Respiratory System
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Structure of the airways and alveoli
What are the bronchi?
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The bronchi are the two branches of the trachea, one entering each lung. Cartilage supports the bronchi and keeps them open. -
Structure of the airways and alveoli
Why is the repeated branching of the airways useful?
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Repeated branching delivers air to every part of the lung. The branching ends in a vast number of alveoli with a very large surface area. -
The mechanics of breathing
Explain the cause and effect of air entering the lungs during inspiration.
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The volume of the thoracic cavity increases, so the pressure inside the lungs falls below atmospheric pressure. Air flows down the pressure gradient into the lungs. -
The mechanics of breathing
What is a pressure gradient in breathing?
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A pressure gradient is a difference in air pressure between the atmosphere and the lungs. Air always moves from the higher pressure to the lower pressure. -
Gas exchange, partial pressure and diffusion
Why does carbon dioxide diffuse from the blood into the alveoli?
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Blood arriving at the lungs has a carbon dioxide partial pressure of about 45 mmHg, against about 40 mmHg in the alveoli. Carbon dioxide diffuses down the gradient into the alveoli. -
Gas exchange, partial pressure and diffusion
Define the Bohr shift.
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The Bohr shift is the movement of the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve to the right. Haemoglobin then releases oxygen more readily at any partial pressure. -
Lung volumes and capacities
What is inspiratory capacity, and how is it calculated?
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Inspiratory capacity is the most air that can be breathed in after a normal expiration. Inspiratory capacity = tidal volume + inspiratory reserve volume. -
Lung volumes and capacities
Calculate the resting minute ventilation of a student with a tidal volume of 0.5 L and 12 breaths per minute.
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The minute ventilation is 6.0 L min⁻¹. Tidal volume × breathing frequency = 0.5 L × 12 breaths per minute = 6.0 L min⁻¹.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Structure of the airways and alveoli | The pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli, the features that make alveoli efficient, moisture and branching, the bronchioles in exercise, asthma, and how the respiratory and cardiovascular systems supply a working muscle. | 13 |
| The mechanics of breathing | Pulmonary ventilation, the diaphragm and external intercostals in inspiration, the extra muscles used in exercise, passive and active expiration, thoracic volume and pressure, pressure gradients, the control of breathing in exercise and the warm-up. | 14 |
| Gas exchange, partial pressure and diffusion | Partial pressure and diffusion, external and internal respiration, oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients at the alveoli and the muscles, how each gas is carried, the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve, the Bohr shift and the a-vO₂ difference. | 15 |
| Lung volumes and capacities | Tidal volume, inspiratory and expiratory reserve volumes, residual volume, vital capacity, inspiratory capacity, functional residual capacity and total lung capacity, worked capacity and minute ventilation calculations, and spirometer traces in exercise. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,108 questions with their answers.