Let’s take a deep breath in! Breathing vs Respiration

We often hear the two terms breathing and respiration in use interchangeably. But, they are very different. Let’s understand the difference between the two in this short read.

Breathing

• It is a physical process involving the inhalation and exhalation. It is charecterized by changes in the air volume of lungs. It is merely an exchange of gases. It is also called pulmonary respiration.
• You inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide
• We breathe in with the help of a muscle right below the lungs called the Diaphram. As it is pulled down, it sucks up air and fill the lungs with oxygen. Cells in the blood vessels near the lungs carry these oxygen molecules to the sites of respiration.

Let’s look at the exact pathway of breathing.

• breathing always starts at the nose when we inhale oxygen
• it travels to the back of the throat and windpipe
• the windpipe splits into many air passages called the bronchial tubes
• they further branch out to give bronchioles
• the ends of the bronchioles is a balloon shaped alveoli
• the alveoli is surrounded by blood vessels called the cappilaries
• this is where the actual exchange of gases takes place

Oxygen is picked up by blood cells and transfers them to the sites of respiration i.e. cells, tissues and organs. The carbon dioxide is eliminated in a similar way when deoxygenated blood reaches the capillaries.

• Breathing is a voluntary process
• You need lungs or gills (if you are a fish) for breathing
• You don’t produce energy when you breathe

Respiration

• It is a chemical process of breaking down glucose using oxygen in order to give energy, which is required for growth, repair and movement. The by-products of this reaction is carbon dioxide and water. Both need to be excreted out. Respiration falls into two categories:

1. Aerobic respiration: seen in all eukaryotic organisms, it takes place in the presence of oxygen
2. Anaerobic respiration: seen in prokaryotes and human muscle cells, it takes place in the absence of oxygen

• Respiration is an involuntary process
• Respiration takes place in our cells
• Energy (in the form of ATP) and CO2 are the products of this chemical reaction
  

Breathing and Respiration are hence two different things.

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