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The photograph shows an athlete training on a running machine - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 3 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 3
The photograph shows an athlete training on a running machine. The mask she is wearing measures the volume of oxygen she uses per minute. (a) The athlete runs faste... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The photograph shows an athlete training on a running machine - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 3 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
Explain why running faster changes the volume of oxygen used per minute.
Answer
When the athlete runs faster, her muscles require more energy to maintain the increased intensity of the activity. This increased energy demand directly correlates with the need for more oxygen to support aerobic respiration, as the muscles use oxygen to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) more efficiently. Consequently, the volume of oxygen consumed per minute rises because the body must supply this additional oxygen to meet the heightened energy needs of the working muscles.