Lung Function - lesson 1

1. TOPIC 3 – LUNG FUNCTION
Understand that the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to
stay alive and to engage in physical activity
Learning Outcomes:
A – Use independent skills to develop
knowledge on the functioning of the lungs
B – Explain important keywords associated with
the functioning of the lungs
C – Identify the different keywords associated
with the functioning of the lungs
Do Now Task – List everything you remember from
GCSE about the functioning of the lungs

2. BACKGROUND
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
To maintain life humans must supply their bodies with
oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
Why do we need oxygen in the body?
To release the energy stored in food so it can be used
to supply all the cells around the body
The process of breathing, respiration and
transportation of gases is done by the cardio-respiratory
system.

3. RESPIRATION
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
External Respiration – The process of
exchanging gases in the lungs
Internal Respiration – The process of
exchanging gases between the muscle cells
and the blood

4. ATP – chemical
found in cells
Breakdown of ATP
– releases energy
to sustain all cells
Limited ATP means
re-synthesise large
amounts
This requires
energy
Respiration
Breakdown food to
release energy

5. BACKGROUND
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
 Efficient lungs and structures to have sufficient
respiration
 Sports performer use more energy than the average
person
 So will need an above average functioning of their
systems
 Training forces the body to adapt so that the body is
getting its required needs
 People with activity levels even below average will have

6. TASK
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
With your partner count how many breaths they take in
a minute
Write it on your page.
Now perform a 1 minute jog with sprints – led by
teacher
Get partner to re-count breaths

7. MECHANICS OF BREATHING
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
To understand breathing we need to understand the structure of the
lungs and the respiratory airways – The tubes that take the air to and
from the lungs

8. AIR
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
Air is a mixture of gases
Oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, inert gases and
often some water vapour.
Air enters the mouth, travels through the nasal cavity,
through the larynx, down the trachea, into the
bronchus, then bronchioles and finally into the alveoli
or air sacs.
Task – Draw out a flow chart of this process and think of a mnemonic to help
remember the process

9. LUNGS
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity
Two sac-like organs, spongy in appearance and they
sit in our chest or thoracic cavity.
They are surrounded by the pleural membrane.
And bordered by a sheet of muscle called our
diaphragm.
Air moves from areas of high to low pressure.
When breathing in, our bodies lower the pressure in
our lungs to that of the outside atmosphere so that air
can flow into them.

10. INSPIRATION (BREATHING IN)
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity

11. EXPIRATION (BREATHING OUT)
Understand the vital part the lungs and associated process of respiration play in enabling us to stay
alive and to engage in physical activity