Lesson T2.2.1

T2.2.1 Aerobic and anaerobic respiration Quiz: KS3 Biology, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T2.2.1, Aerobic and anaerobic respiration: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Biology (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Material cycles and energy, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is respiration in living cells?

    • The breakdown of glucose to release energy for life processes
    • Building glucose from carbon dioxide and water in the leaves of plants
    • Breathing air in and out of the lungs continuously during rest and sleep
    • Absorbing water through the roots of a plant from the wet soil nearby

  2. Which gas is needed for aerobic respiration?

    • Carbon dioxide
    • Hydrogen
    • Nitrogen
    • Oxygen

  3. In which cell structure does aerobic respiration mainly take place?

    • Ribosomes, which are the sites of protein synthesis in cells
    • The nucleus, which contains the cell's chromosomes and DNA
    • Mitochondria
    • Chloroplasts, which are the green organelles for photosynthesis

  4. What does anaerobic respiration mean?

    • Breathing that removes carbon dioxide from the blood stream quickly
    • Respiration that releases energy without using oxygen
    • Photosynthesis that happens in the dark without any light at all
    • Respiration that uses oxygen and releases much more energy overall

  5. What is the product of anaerobic respiration in human muscles?

    • Ethanol and carbon dioxide
    • Oxygen and glucose
    • Carbon dioxide and water
    • Lactic acid

  6. What are the products of yeast fermentation?

    • Lactic acid only, which is made by human muscle cells
    • Ethanol and carbon dioxide
    • Glucose and starch, which are stored in the yeast cells
    • Oxygen and water, which are both made in the mitochondria

  7. Why does dough made with yeast rise?

    • Yeast produces oxygen gas that expands the dough and its air pockets
    • Yeast turns the flour into water, which makes the whole dough swell up
    • Yeast produces carbon dioxide gas that forms bubbles in the dough
    • Yeast releases heat that melts the starch grains in the flour dough

  8. Why do muscles feel tired during a sprint?

    • Muscles stop using glucose altogether once they start sprinting hard
    • Carbon dioxide turns into lactic acid in the lungs during exercise
    • Oxygen builds up in the muscles during a sprint and causes tiredness
    • Lactic acid builds up when oxygen cannot be supplied fast enough

  9. Which organisms can respire anaerobically?

    • Only animals that live in the sea, far beneath the waves
    • Only plants that are growing in darkness at night time
    • Only fish that live in very cold water during the winter months
    • Yeast and human muscles during strenuous exercise

  10. Why does breathing rate increase after exercise?

    • To supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from muscles
    • To make more red blood cells quickly after the exercise ends
    • To cool the blood by evaporating sweat from the skin surface
    • To store extra glucose in the lungs for use later in the day

  11. What is respiration mainly used for in the body?

    • Making oxygen for photosynthesis in the leaves
    • Powering movement, growth and keeping warm
    • Dispersing seeds from a fruit to new places
    • Absorbing sunlight in the leaves of green plants

  12. Which product of aerobic respiration is released along with carbon dioxide?

    • Lactic acid
    • Ethanol
    • Starch
    • Water

  13. A sealed flask contains yeast and sugar solution. What is the most likely result?

    • Yeast stops respiring completely because no air is present in the flask
    • Yeast turns the sugar into starch that settles at the flask bottom
    • Yeast photosynthesises in the flask and releases oxygen gas into it
    • Fermentation makes ethanol and carbon dioxide, which bubbles

  14. In which part of a human cell does anaerobic respiration take place?

    • The chloroplast
    • The cell wall
    • The cytoplasm
    • The nucleus

  15. Which gas builds up when sugar and yeast are sealed in a bag?

    • Carbon dioxide
    • Oxygen gas, which is used up by the yeast cells
    • Nitrogen gas, which makes up most of the air
    • Chlorine gas, which is poisonous when breathed in

  16. Why do some animals respire anaerobically for short periods?

    • They do not need oxygen at any time during their lives
    • Anaerobic respiration makes glucose from light energy in cells
    • Oxygen supply cannot keep up with muscle demand
    • Anaerobic respiration removes carbon dioxide from the blood stream

  17. Why does baking bread need both yeast and sugar?

    • Yeast ferments sugar into carbon dioxide that raises dough
    • Sugar kills bacteria in the dough while yeast makes the bread crisp
    • Yeast makes the dough cold and firm so that it rises in the oven
    • Sugar turns into oxygen gas, which makes the dough rise in the oven

  18. Why is anaerobic respiration important to some micro-organisms?

    • They release oxygen that is needed by other species living nearby
    • They make light energy available for photosynthesis in the leaves of plants
    • They can release energy from sugars where there is no oxygen
    • They convert carbon dioxide directly into glucose for their cells

  19. What happens to lactic acid after exercise stops?

    • It is stored permanently in the muscle and never removed again
    • It is converted into ethanol in the blood
    • It turns into carbon dioxide in the lungs
    • It is slowly broken down once enough oxygen is supplied

  20. Which body cells can switch to anaerobic respiration when oxygen is limited?

    • Root cells in dry soil that has very little water
    • Skin cells in cold weather outside the body
    • Muscle cells during intense exercise
    • Leaf cells during daylight when photosynthesis is busy

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