Lesson 3.3.2.2

3.3.2.2 Gas exchange in the human gas exchange system Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.3.2.2, Gas exchange in the human gas exchange system: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Biology (7402), Unit 3: Organisms exchange substances with their environment, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What are the main gas exchange structures within human lungs?

    • Alveoli
    • Bronchioles
    • Trachea
    • Bronchi

  2. Which structures branch directly from the trachea to carry air into each lung?

    • Arterioles
    • Bronchi
    • Alveoli
    • Bronchioles

  3. What action does the diaphragm perform during inspiration?

    • Relaxes and domes
    • Relaxes and flattens
    • Contracts and flattens
    • Contracts and rises

  4. Which muscles contract to pull the ribs downwards during forced expiration?

    • External intercostals
    • Pectoral muscles
    • Diaphragm muscles
    • Internal intercostals

  5. How thick is the diffusion pathway across a single alveolar epithelial cell?

    • Two cells thick
    • Multiple cells thick
    • Three cells thick
    • One cell thick

  6. Which intercostal muscles contract during quiet human inspiration?

    • External intercostals
    • Internal intercostals
    • Diaphragmatic intercostals
    • Abdominal intercostals

  7. How does damage to alveolar walls specifically reduce the rate of gas exchange?

    • Reduces surface area
    • Decreases blood pressure
    • Increases diffusion distance
    • Increases surface area

  8. What type of link is shown when smoking frequency aligns with lung disease rates?

    • Correlation
    • Double blind
    • Causation
    • Negative feedback

  9. What relationship between a risk factor and disease justifies legal restrictions?

    • Causal link
    • Coincidental association
    • Negative correlation
    • Positive correlation

  10. Pulmonary ventilation rate is calculated by multiplying tidal volume by which value?

    • Vital capacity
    • Heart rate
    • Breathing rate
    • Residual volume

  11. A person has a tidal volume of 0.5 dm^3 and a breathing rate of 15 breaths per minute. What is their pulmonary ventilation rate?

    • 30 dm^3 per minute
    • 15.5 dm^3 per minute
    • 7.5 dm^3 per minute
    • 0.03 dm^3 per minute

  12. Which lung structures provide a large surface area for gas exchange?

    • Alveoli
    • Bronchioles
    • Bronchi
    • Trachea

  13. What type of study is needed to prove a risk factor causes a disease?

    • Retrospective anecdotal survey
    • Controlled experimental study
    • Observational correlation study
    • Large population survey

  14. What happens to the diaphragm during quiet exhalation at rest?

    • Contracts and flattens
    • Contracts and domes
    • Relaxes and flattens
    • Relaxes and domes

  15. Which measurement directly indicates a reduced rate of gas exchange?

    • Decreased oxygen uptake
    • Increased blood pressure
    • Decreased tidal volume
    • Decreased breathing rate

  16. What is the primary function of cartilage rings in the human trachea?

    • Increase surface area
    • Prevent airway collapse
    • Secrete sticky mucus
    • Trap invading pathogens

  17. Why must the alveolar epithelium be covered with a layer of moisture?

    • To cool air
    • To kill bacteria
    • To reduce friction
    • To dissolve gases

  18. Why does air enter the lungs during quiet inspiration?

    • Down pressure gradient
    • Up pressure gradient
    • Via surface tension
    • By active transport

  19. A student has a tidal volume of 500 cm^3 and a breathing rate of 12 breaths per minute. What is the pulmonary ventilation rate in dm^3 per minute?

    • 4.2 dm^3 per minute
    • 6 dm^3 per minute
    • 60 dm^3 per minute
    • 0.6 dm^3 per minute

  20. Why does a disease correlation not always prove causation?

    • Sample size small
    • Confounding variables exist
    • Genetics are identical
    • Data is subjective

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