0413_respiration

By: Ashley and Chelsey
Chemistry is understanding the how of life, which is how everything works. Understanding respiration (breathing) which occurs in all forms of life, is essential to understanding life itself! Respiration (aerobic and anaerobic) is the most important reaction because it allows your body to function. All living things need to breathe in order to live. This means that you, as a human, or any other living things such as a dog would not be able to survive if this chemical reaction did not occur!

C6H12O6 à C2H4OHCOOH + Energy

This is decomposition because one compound produces two new substances!
A second use for respiration is used when exercising. When a person is exercising, muscles get energy aerobically (using oxygen and glucose to make energy for muscles). Although usually not quite enough oxygen makes it to the muscles and so the body makes energy without oxygen, anaerobically. When a person stops exercising there is not enough oxygen in the muscles, the oxygen has been replaced by lactic acid. This is why a person cannot simply stop moving when done exercising, but must stretch to get the lactic acid out of the muscles. By continuing to move, the lactic acid (which is what makes your muscles stiff) is taken out of the muscles and replaced with oxygen. Your body breathes heavily because there is not enough oxygen in your muscles, by breathing heavily the body can replace the oxygen, needed in the muscles, quicker.

This is the cardivascular system, the aerobic reaction occurs here!

This is some of the muscles and bones in the body, this is where the anaerobic reaction occurs!