When You Exercise Intensely, Your Rate of Gas Exchange Rises

Question

When you exercise intensely, your rate of gas exchange rises because
A)muscle contraction requires oxygen to lessen the amount of ATP produced.
B)the amount of carbon dioxide required for cellular respiration increases.
C)the muscle cell mitochondria require more oxygen.
D)the ratio of surface area to volume of the lungs decreases.

Accepted Answer

When you exercise intensely, your muscle cell mitochondria require more oxygen to produce ATP through cellular respiration. This leads to an increase in the rate of gas exchange, as more oxygen is brought into the body and more carbon dioxide is removed. Option A is not correct because muscle contraction does not require oxygen, but rather produces ATP without the use of oxygen through anaerobic respiration. Option B is incorrect because the amount of carbon dioxide required for cellular respiration remains the same, but the amount produced increases. Option D is incorrect because the ratio of surface area to volume of the lungs does not change during exercise.