Breathing and Exchange of Gases NEET PYQReal NEET & AIPMT 2006–2021 questions, year-tagged, with solutions
By the RankUp team, founded by Dr. Deepak Sahu (MBBS Gold Medalist, NEET PG AIR 1731) · Updated
Every Breathing and Exchange of Gases question from the NEET & AIPMT papers on this site (2006–2021), newest first. Each is tagged with its paper. Tap an option to check your answer and read the explanation.
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Breathing and Exchange of Gases previous year questions
29 questions. Tap an option to check your answer.
Q1NEET 2021
Select the favourable conditions required for the formation of oxyhaemoglobin at the alveoli.
Not quite — the answer is A.
At the alveoli, high pO₂, low pCO₂, fewer H⁺ ions (higher pH) and lower temperature all favour binding of oxygen to haemoglobin. The opposite set of conditions, found in tissues, favours release of oxygen.
Q2NEET 2021
The partial pressures (in mm Hg) of oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) at alveoli (the site of diffusion) are :
Not quite — the answer is A.
Alveolar air has pO₂ of 104 mm Hg and pCO₂ of 40 mm Hg. The values 159 and 0.3 are for atmospheric air, and 40 and 45 are for deoxygenated blood.
Q3NEET 2020 · Q19
Identify the wrong statement with reference to transport of oxygen.
Not quite — the answer is C.
In the alveoli the conditions that favour oxyhaemoglobin formation are high pO₂, low pCO₂, lower H⁺ concentration and lower temperature. A higher H⁺ concentration favours release of oxygen (as in the tissues), so that statement is wrong.
Q4NEET 2020 · Q24
Select the correct events that occur during inspiration. (a) Contraction of diaphragm (b) Contraction of external inter-costal muscles (c) Pulmonary volume decreases (d) Intra pulmonary pressure increases
Not quite — the answer is A.
Inspiration starts when the diaphragm and the external intercostal muscles contract, which increases the volume of the thoracic cavity and the lungs. The larger pulmonary volume lowers intra-pulmonary pressure below atmospheric, so a decrease in volume and an increase in pressure belong to expiration.
Q5NEET 2019 · Q120
Due to increasing air-borne allergens and pollutants, many people in urban areas are suffering from respiratory disorder causing wheezing due to :
Not quite — the answer is B.
Asthma, triggered by allergens and pollutants, is difficulty in breathing with wheezing due to inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles. Fibrosis and alveolar wall damage describe occupational lung disease and emphysema respectively.
Q6NEET 2019 · Q141
Tidal Volume and Expiratory Reserve Volume of an athlete is 500 mL and 1000 mL respectively. What will be his Expiratory Capacity if the Residual Volume is 1200 mL ?
Not quite — the answer is A.
Expiratory capacity = tidal volume + expiratory reserve volume = 500 + 1000 = 1500 mL. Residual volume is not part of it; adding it gives 2700 mL, which is the trap (that sum would be functional residual capacity plus tidal volume).
Q7NEET 2018 · Q136
Which of the following options correctly represents the lung conditions in asthma and emphysema, respectively?
Not quite — the answer is C.
Asthma is difficulty in breathing caused by inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles. Emphysema is a chronic disorder in which alveolar walls are damaged, so the respiratory surface decreases. The reversed pairing is the main trap.
Q8NEET 2018 · Q138
Match the items given in Column I with those in Column II and select the correct option given below: Column I: a. Tidal volume, b. Inspiratory Reserve volume, c. Expiratory Reserve volume, d. Residual volume Column II: i. 2500 – 3000 mL, ii. 1100 – 1200 mL, iii. 500 – 550 mL, iv. 1000 – 1100 mL
Not quite — the answer is B.
NCERT gives tidal volume about 500 mL, inspiratory reserve volume 2500–3000 mL, expiratory reserve volume 1000–1100 mL and residual volume 1100–1200 mL. The close values of ERV and RV are the trap; residual volume is the slightly larger one.
Q9NEET 2017 · Q52
Lungs are made up of air-filled sacs, the alveoli. They do not collapse even after forceful expiration, because of:
Not quite — the answer is A.
Residual volume (about 1100–1200 mL) is the air that remains in the lungs even after the most forceful expiration, and it keeps the alveoli from collapsing. Expiratory reserve volume is the extra air that can be breathed out forcibly, so it is exactly the air that is removed.
Q10NEET 2017 (Gujarati paper) · Q66
Which of the following cannot be measured by spirometry?
Not quite — the answer is C.
Residual volume is the air that always remains in the lungs after forced expiration, so it never passes through the spirometer and cannot be measured by it. Tidal volume, inspiratory reserve volume and vital capacity are all exhaled or inhaled volumes that a spirometer records.
Q11NEET 2017 (Gujarati paper) · Q69
Air pollution can result in Emphysema, which is:
Not quite — the answer is A.
Emphysema is a chronic disorder in which alveolar walls are damaged, so the respiratory surface area decreases; smoking and air pollution are major causes. Persistent inflammation of the bronchi describes bronchitis, allergic bronchial spasms describe asthma, and emphysema reduces rather than increases lung elasticity.
Q12NEET 2016 Phase 2 · Q148
The partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli of the lungs is
Not quite — the answer is B.
Alveolar pO₂ is about 104 mm Hg, higher than the 40 mm Hg of deoxygenated blood and the 95 mm Hg of oxygenated blood, so oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the blood. Alveolar pCO₂ is only about 40 mm Hg, so pO₂ is not less than pCO₂.
Q13NEET 2016 Phase 2 · Q156
Lungs do not collapse between breaths and some air always remains in the lungs which can never be expelled because
Not quite — the answer is B.
The pleural space is kept below the pressure inside the lungs, and this negative intrapleural pressure pulls on the lung walls and keeps the alveoli from collapsing, so a residual volume always stays. Intrapulmonary pressure itself swings either side of atmospheric during breathing and is not permanently negative or higher.
Q14NEET 2016 Phase 1 · Q99
Name the chronic respiratory disorder caused mainly by cigarette smoking:
Not quite — the answer is A.
Emphysema is a chronic disorder in which alveolar walls are damaged and the respiratory surface is reduced; cigarette smoking is its major cause. Asthma is an allergic inflammation of bronchi, and acidosis/alkalosis are acid-base disturbances, not respiratory diseases caused by smoking.
Q15NEET 2016 Phase 1 · Q112
Asthma may be attributed to:
Not quite — the answer is B.
Asthma is an allergic response: allergens trigger mast cells to release histamine and other mediators, causing inflammation and spasm of bronchi and bronchioles and wheezing. It is not a bacterial infection (as in pneumonia) or fluid accumulation.
Q16NEET 2016 Phase 1 · Q149
Reduction in pH of blood will:
Not quite — the answer is C.
A fall in pH (higher H⁺) shifts the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve to the right (Bohr effect), lowering haemoglobin's affinity for O₂ so more oxygen is released to tissues. It does not cause the liver to release bicarbonate.
Q17AIPMT 2015
When you hold your breath, which of the following gas changes in blood would first lead to the urge to breathe?
Not quite — the answer is C.
The chemosensitive area of the medulla responds to rising CO₂ and H⁺ in the blood, and this is the strongest drive to breathe. The fall in O₂ during breath-holding is small and has little effect at first, so it is not what first causes the urge.
Q18AIPMT 2014
Approximately seventy percent of carbon-dioxide absorbed by the blood will be transported to the lungs:
Not quite — the answer is D.
About 70% of CO₂ is carried as bicarbonate ions formed by carbonic anhydrase in RBCs, about 20–25% as carbamino-haemoglobin and about 7% dissolved in plasma. So the bicarbonate route, not carbamino-haemoglobin, accounts for the seventy percent.
Q19AIPMT 2011 Mains
Bulk of carbon dioxide (CO₂) released from body tissues into the blood is present as
Not quite — the answer is C.
About 70% of CO₂ is carried as bicarbonate, formed mainly in RBCs by carbonic anhydrase and carried largely in plasma; about 20-25% travels as carbamino-haemoglobin and about 7% as dissolved CO₂. The trap reverses the percentages: carbamino-haemoglobin is the minor form, not 70%.
Q20AIPMT 2011 Mains
Which one of the following is a possibility for most of us in regard to breathing, by making a conscious effort ?
Not quite — the answer is A.
With conscious effort one can breathe by moving the diaphragm alone (abdominal breathing) while keeping the ribs still. The lungs can never be emptied completely because the residual volume always remains, and expired air still contains about 16% oxygen.
Q21AIPMT 2011 Prelims
A large proportion of oxygen is left unused in the human blood even after its uptake by the body tissues. This O₂
Not quite — the answer is B.
Each 100 mL of oxygenated blood delivers only about 5 mL of O₂ to the tissues at rest, so venous blood remains largely saturated. This unused oxygen acts as a reserve that can be released when muscular activity increases the demand.
Q22AIPMT 2011 Prelims
Two friends are eating together at a dining table. One of them suddenly starts coughing while swallowing some food. This coughing would have been due to improper movement of
Not quite — the answer is B.
During swallowing, the epiglottis closes the glottis so that food passes into the oesophagus and not the larynx. If it does not close properly, food enters the air passage and triggers a coughing reflex.
Q23AIPMT 2010 Prelims · Q144
Listed below are four respiratory capacities (a - c) and four jumbled respiratory volumes of a normal human adult Respiratory capacities — Respiratory volumes (a) Residual volume — 2500 mL (b) Vital capacity — 3500 mL (c) Inspiratory reserve volume — 1200 mL (d) Inspiratory capacity — 4500 mL Which one of the following is the correct matching of two capacities and volumes?
Not quite — the answer is D.
Inspiratory capacity = tidal volume (about 500 mL) + IRV (2500–3000 mL), which is about 3500 mL. Residual volume is about 1100–1200 mL. Vital capacity (about 4500 mL) and IRV (about 2500 mL) do not match the other options as given.
Q24AIPMT 2010 Prelims · Q145
What is true about RBCs in humans?
Not quite — the answer is B.
About 20–25% of CO₂ is carried by RBCs as carbamino-haemoglobin, about 70% as bicarbonate, and about 7% dissolved in plasma. For oxygen, about 97% travels bound to haemoglobin in RBCs and 3% dissolved, so the 99.5% and 80% figures are wrong.
Q25AIPMT 2008 Prelims · Q147
What is vital capacity of our lungs?
Not quite — the answer is A.
Vital capacity is ERV + TV + IRV, the most air that can be breathed out after a forced inspiration. Total lung capacity is VC + RV, so VC = TLC − RV. IRV + ERV leaves out the tidal volume, and IRV + TV is the inspiratory capacity.
Q26AIPMT 2008 Prelims · Q166
The haemoglobin of a human foetus
Not quite — the answer is A.
Foetal haemoglobin (α₂γ₂) binds O₂ more strongly than adult HbA, so it can take oxygen from maternal blood across the placenta. It is still a tetramer of four globin chains, not two.
Q27AIPMT 2006 Prelims · Q146
People living at sea level have around 5 million RBC per cubic millimeter of their blood whereas those living at an altitude of 5400 metres have around 8 million. This is because at high altitude :
Not quite — the answer is B.
At high altitude the partial pressure of oxygen is low, so the body makes more RBCs to carry enough oxygen to the tissues. The air there actually has less available oxygen, not more.
Q28AIPMT 2006 Prelims · Q183
Which one of the following statements is incorrect ?
Not quite — the answer is C.
Insects carry oxygen directly to tissues through tracheal tubes, and their blood (haemolymph) plays little part in oxygen transport, so this statement is the incorrect one. Residual air does slightly lower efficiency because fresh air is mixed with stale air.
Q29AIPMT 2006 Prelims · Q192
The majority of carbon dioxide produced by our body cells is transported to the lungs :
Not quite — the answer is B.
About 70% of CO₂ is carried in plasma as bicarbonate ions, formed with carbonic anhydrase in RBCs. About 20–25% travels bound to haemoglobin and around 7% dissolved.
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