Respiration in Animals

The process of taking oxygen from the environment means the exchange of carbon dioxide and “oxygen” is called respiration. Respiration is essential for the survival of humans and plants because it helps in breaking food particles into useful nutrients. Moreover, the section is going to discuss the complete details about respiration that helps in understanding the importance of respiration for human beings, plants, and animals. Respiration is essential for survival because it helps in taking oxygen from the air is important for life. 

Define respiration

Respiration is the process in the living organisms that helps in producing energy from the taken food by taking oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide from the process of oxidation of complex materials. On the other hand, it can be defined as the biochemical process of providing oxygen to the bodies of plants and animals. All animals undergo respiration because it is essential in breaking the food to get the desired energy from the taken food. Respiration is the process of providing oxygen to the cells and tissues so that they can use it in the diffusion of sugar into glucose and energy. Energy is essential for living organisms because it gives the strength of working and performing any activities. ATP is obtained from the combining of oxygen, glucose, carbon dioxide, and water.  

Types of respiration

Respirations are of two types:

Aerobic Respiration

This respiration that occurs in the availability of oxygen and breaks the complex food particles into simple and usable food particles, are called aerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration is a metabolic reaction that uses oxygen in breaking down food particles so that it can provide ATP to the animals in the form of energy that helps in doing work. The above-stated type of respiration consists of four stages and each stage has its specific work: the stages are glycolysis, the link reaction, oxidative phosphorylation, and the Krebs cycle. The taken food by the organisms undergoes the four stages of respiration and extracts energy from the food. 

Anaerobic Respiration

Anaerobic respiration is the type of respiratory system that occurs in the absence of “oxygen” and breaks food particles to release energy for the organisms. The organism that lives under the earth or oxygen-less places practises anaerobic respiration and uses different gases such as nitrates and “carbon dioxide” in place of oxygen. The following type of respiration forms the electrochemical gradient with the help of an electron transport system that helps in generating energy molecules for the organisms. 

Define the types of respiration in animals

The animals practise the respiration process as per their needs, which means the process of respiration differs from organism to organism. The types of respiration in animals are 

Respire through the plasma membrane

The unicellular organism such as amoeba takes oxygen from air, water, and surrounding with the help of the surface of the cells. The animals take oxygen and then diffuse that oxygen into energy and carbon dioxide. The generated carbon dioxide is exhaled by the use of a plasma membrane. 

Through skin

Some animals such as tapeworms and earthworms use their skin for the respiration process. Furthermore, because their skins are very thin, soft, and moistened which helps in exchanging gases. The skin of the animals contains many blood cells that are spread on their skin and the blood cells present are known as capillaries that help in the respiration process. 

Tracheal system

The body of insects contains a special fine tube for the exchange of gases known as the trachea that helps in the respiration process of the insects. The air containing oxygen enters into the trachea and reaches the trachea tube that sends the oxygen to cells of the body that helps the insects in breaking their food. 

Through gills

Aquatic animals take oxygen with the help of gills. Gills are the special muscles provided in the aquatic animals that extract the dissolved oxygen from the water and send it to the cells of the aquatic animals.

Through lungs

Respiration in animals such as humans occurs with the help of the lungs. The animals take oxygen from the air by using their lungs that send the usable oxygen to the cells of the animals to break down the taken food to obtain the energy. The provided oxygen is mixed with the glucose that gives sugar, water, and energy that gives strength for working. The lungs are the body part of humans that is used to extract oxygen from the air and exhale carbon dioxide. The lungs are present in the chest cavity and work as a filter in the human body for the extraction of oxygen. 

Conclusion

The above section concludes that the taking of oxygen for breaking the food particles within the body of animals is known as respiration. The types of respiration are discussed in a section that provides the complete knowledge of respiration in plants and animals. The respiration process in animals is discussed that provides the knowledge of the respiratory organs in the animals.