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Oxygen! Oxygen is the most abundant element on earth, comprising a full 90% of water, around 20% of ordinary air, and two thirds of the human body. Before plants came along to produce it in gas form (O2), oxygen did not freely exist on earth; yet today it accounts for 89% of our planet's seas, lakes and rivers, in addition to 25% of the atmosphere's mass.1 Liquid oxygen is a pretty pale blue color, the same alluring shade as some power drinks. Oxygen gas on the other hand is colorless, odorless and tasteless—so don’t be put off when nothing visible, smelly or tasty comes out of your POD™.2 Instead, it’s pure oxygen. Enjoy! Oxygen Production | Back to Top Like magic, oxygen seems to materialize out of thin air just to satisfy our hungry lungs. But where does it really come from? In fact, a full half of earth’s oxygen is produced by one-celled phytoplankton which float languidly on the surface of the world’s oceans. Day in and day out, they tirelessly produce oxygen using the sun’s rays, through the process of photosynthesis. The remainder of the earth’s oxygen is generated by the various land plants we typically think of as oxygen producers, such as trees, grass, and other vegetation. 3 Friends of Oxygen | Back to Top Oxygen has many friends; indeed, the fanatic devotion of most of them to their precious O2 makes one question whether they aren’t oxygen’s lovers. Or just addicts? It’s a fine line. In any case, all animals, including humans, rely on oxygen to survive. Two of the body’s most important organs, the brain and the heart, demand more of it than any other body part.4 Oxygen delivery to the muscles by way of blood circulation is one of the most important factors in limiting and enabling exercise. Oxygen’s Enemies | Back to Top Despite all its friends, oxygen also has enemies; and most of these happen to be human enemies, too! Many types of micro-organisms, viruses, fungi and bacteria are anaerobic, which means they can only survive in the absence of oxygen. Another enemy of oxygen is pollution. Tiny particulates (or just plain dirt) released into the air by carbon-based fuels and other chemicals attack not only our air but our greatest oxygen factories: the world’s rain forests.5 While speculation is rampant concerning what could be in store for oxygen, one thing is certain—humans cannot survive without it. The moral of the story? Breathe pure oxygen while you can, because its enemies are pretty nasty buggers. Your Brain and Oxygen | Back to Top The human brain hogs a whole 20% of the oxygen absorbed by the body, and like a child who is used to being spoiled, there can be dire consequences when it doesn’t get what it wants. Reduced oxygen levels in the brain can result in irregular breathing during sleep, a decrease in concentration, greater forgetfulness, swings in mood, increased restlessness, less drive and even depressive thoughts.6 Now there’s a tantrum to be reckoned with!
Oxygen in Your Lungs | Back to Top Considering our constant demand for oxygen, the human body ends up wasting an awful lot of it. As we breathe, the movement of oxygen into our lungs occurs only during early inhalation, or what amounts to just one sixth of our total respiratory cycle.7 Of that, only the first little bit of oxygen to reach the alveoli (the lungs’ oxygen receptors) is actually taken in, meaning that humans only absorb about 15% of the oxygen inhaled in a single breath. The rest is exhaled back into the air. By comparison, a whale absorbs up to 90% of the oxygen it breathes, thanks to huge lungs and unusually high levels of myoglobin (which mammals use to store and transport oxygen in the muscles).8 Doesn’t that make you wish you had a whale’s body? Only without the waistline, of course. Life Without Oxygen? | Back to Top Some animals, like penguins, are craftier than they look. According to recorded levels emperor penguins can dive for 22 minutes at depths of up to 1800 ft. Under these conditions the air in their lungs is squeezed to a fortieth of its usual volume, while their heart beat drops down to a plodding 15-20 beats per minute.9 In comparison, human hearts beat an average of about 72 times per minute. Most humans can only survive without oxygen for one to two minutes, although with the help of careful preparation and breathing pure oxygen in measured amounts beforehand, some people can hold their breath for up to fifteen minutes in shallow water.10 (Note: The simple act of breathing pure oxygen does not bestow upon humans the ability to hold their breath underwater for extended periods of time.) Feeling inferior yet? In a whole different league are some of the world’s natural swimmers: whales can live without oxygen for 80 to 90 minutes at a stretch, while one close relative of the goldfish (the Crucian carp) has been found to survive for months on end without any oxygen.11 Scientists are in the process of studying these animals to understand how a life without oxygen might be achieved.12 More importantly, these studies could hold answers to the question of how humans can improve their ability to live and work in a world whose oxygen levels continue to drop. 1 Hand, Clifford W.: General Chemistry; Saunders College Publishing: 1994. |
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