Inside Respiration — Living Things Lab

Drag to pan · use wheel or zoom buttons · tap a molecule or structure to follow

Student Mode

Guided outside-to-inside view

Choose a living thing

Follow the process

Air enters the lungs. Oxygen crosses an alveolus into blood, travels to body cells and reaches mitochondria. Carbon dioxide returns to the lungs and is exhaled.

Conditions

Air oxygen21%

Activity level1.0×

Exchange surface100%

Playback & view

Speed1.0×

Tracked object

Tap a molecule, organ or cell in the scene.

Respiration rates

Oxygen useCarbon dioxideATP

Teacher tools

Reveal explanations

Learning objectives

Follow oxygen from the environment to a mitochondrion.
Separate gas exchange from cellular respiration.
Compare lungs, gills, stomata and yeast cells.
Relate oxygen and exchange area to ATP production.

Key concepts

Gas exchange moves oxygen and carbon dioxide across a thin, moist surface. Cellular respiration happens inside cells: glucose and oxygen are used to release energy into ATP, producing carbon dioxide and water.

Plants respire day and night. Photosynthesis and respiration are different processes.

Try these experiments

Raise human activity and watch ATP demand increase.
Lower dissolved oxygen around the fish.
Reduce the plant's exchange surface to mimic closed stomata.
Lower yeast oxygen and observe fermentation products.

Questions to explore

Why must an exchange surface stay moist?
Why do active organisms need faster ventilation?
Why does fermentation yield less ATP?

Seven-question quiz

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