• Question: What is meant by the term respiration and what is its difference from breathing

    Asked by ImIbby to Daniela ?, ☣ Danna, Jonny, Juan, Lindsay on 20 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Juan Ortiz

      Juan Ortiz answered on 20 Jun 2016:


      Respiration happens inside the cells and it is a chemical reaction involving the complete oxidation of sugars to water and carbon dioxide. Respiration happens not only in animals, plants and fungi, but also in many bacteria or unicellular organisms that cannot breath. Breathing involves moving the air in and out the lungs or other breathing organs like gills in order to collect oxygen from the environment and excrete the carbon dioxide.

      In other words, respiration is a molecular process that happens inside every cells of our organism and breathing only happens in the lungs (or gills in the fish) and it is a mechanical process of ventilation in lungs or gills.

    • Photo: Lindsay Robinson

      Lindsay Robinson answered on 20 Jun 2016:


      Great answer from Juan! In my ignorance, I’d never thought about the difference.

    • Photo: Jonathan Hunter

      Jonathan Hunter answered on 20 Jun 2016:


      Great answer from Juan!

    • Photo: Danna Gifford

      Danna Gifford answered on 21 Jun 2016:


      +1 to Juan’s answer =)

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