Respiration

noun (uncountable)

/ˌrespɪˈreɪʃən/

Respiration refers to two related but distinct processes: (1) external or pulmonary respiration — the gaseous exchange of O₂ and CO₂ between an organism and its environment via lungs or gills; and (2) cellular respiration — the biochemical oxidation of organic molecules (primarily glucose) within cells to produce ATP, CO₂, and water, occurring via glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Aerobic cellular respiration yields approximately 30–32 ATP per glucose molecule. India's National Programme for Non-Communicable Diseases addresses chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — a respiratory disorder affecting an estimated 37 million Indians — as a major public health burden exacerbated by biomass fuel combustion in rural households.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's UJJWALA Yojana, by replacing biomass cookstoves with LPG connections for over 100 million households, directly targets the indoor air pollution that underlies the disproportionately high burden of respiratory disease among rural women.

Synonyms

breathing (external)cellular oxidationaerobic metabolismgas exchangeventilation

Antonyms

anaerobic fermentationapnoea (cessation of breathing)asphyxiation

🌱 Word Family

respire (verb), respiratory (adjective), respirator (noun), respirometry (noun), respirable (adjective)

🔡 Root

Latin respirare = to breathe again; from re- = again + spirare = to breathe

📜 Etymology

From Latin respiratio (breathing), derived from respirare (to breathe again, to breathe repeatedly), composed of re- (again) and spirare (to breathe). The Latin spirare is an ancient root also giving rise to 'spirit' (the breath of life), 'expire', 'inspire', and 'conspire'. The dual biological meaning — gaseous exchange and cellular energy production — developed as biochemistry distinguished between the organismal and cellular scales of the process in the 19th and 20th centuries.

🧠 Memory Hook

Respiration = re- + spirare (breathe again) — you breathe again and again, continuously. The shared root spirare links respiration, inspiration (breathing in), expiration (breathing out), and even 'spirit' — all about air and breath. Respiration is just structured, repeated breathing-again.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2013 — Plant Biology
Prelims 2013 — Biology
Prelims 2011 — Botany

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Respiration” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

⚗️ General Science 📖 Seen in: Human Body Systems — Organ Systems, Ph...

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