Air/Energy/Climate

Air

What is the story?

Air. This is a simple story, right?
It is simple in that we absolutely must have it, yet complex due to the gas mixture that we require to breathe. All mammals, including ourselves, breathe in a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Why do we need this mix?

• Oxygen: We breathe in a small amount of oxygen into our lungs, where it passes into our bloodstreams. Oxygen is the key to almost all of our life-supporting biochemistry.
  
  
• Carbon dioxide: We need this to stimulate breathing. Without it, we could not live.
  
  
• Nitrogen: Although we breathe it, we do not need it for biochemical processes. But, we do need it because the nitrogen content in air maintains the correct percentage of oxygen (about 21%) required for normal oxygen absorption.

The right air mixture is essential for our lives. If the proportions change or other substances are added to what we breathe, adverse reactions can occur in our bodies.