JAMB 2014 Biology · Question 26

The use of moist skin for respiration in amphibians is known as

Options

  1. A.cellular respiration
  2. B.cutaneous respiration
  3. C.buccal respiration
  4. D.pulmonary respiration

Answer: B. cutaneous respiration

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the name of the process in which amphibians breathe through their moist skin.

Step 2: Explain the concept Amphibians such as frogs and toads can exchange gases in several ways:

  • Cutaneous respiration: gas exchange through the skin. The word "cutaneous" comes from the Latin cutis, meaning skin.
  • Buccal respiration: gas exchange through the lining of the mouth (buccal cavity).
  • Pulmonary respiration: gas exchange through the lungs.
  • Cellular respiration: the chemical release of energy from glucose inside cells (in the mitochondria). It is not a breathing method.

For cutaneous respiration to work, the skin must be:

  • Moist, so that oxygen can dissolve and diffuse in.
  • Thin.
  • Well supplied with blood capillaries.

Step 3: Solve step by step

  1. The key phrase is "moist skin for respiration".
  2. Skin corresponds to the term "cutaneous".
  3. Checking the options: • A. Cellular respiration happens inside cells, so it is wrong. • B. Cutaneous respiration is gas exchange through the skin, so it is correct. • C. Buccal respiration uses the mouth lining, so it is wrong. • D. Pulmonary respiration uses the lungs, so it is wrong.

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is B. cutaneous respiration.

Step 5: Exam tip Link the word root to the body part:

  • Cutaneous = skin
  • Buccal = mouth
  • Pulmonary = lungs

Frogs use the skin mainly when they are underwater or resting, and the lungs and buccal cavity when they are active on land. Keep up the good work!

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