Why is air for living beings important

Air is a homogeneous soda mass composed of different gases. The majority gases are:

• Nitrogen (N2) in 78%.
• Oxygen (O2) in 21%.
• Argon (AR) at 0.93%.

The air also contains water vapor, in approximately 0.4% and carbon dioxide at 0.035%. In the air there are other gases with very small percentages such as neon, helium, methane, krypton hydrogen and ammonia.

The air has a 1.23 kg/m density³ at a temperature of 15ºC. The air weighs more and exerts more pressure at sea level than at the top of a large mountain, such as in Everest. Due to the attraction that gravity exercises, The heaviest and dense particles and gases They are more next to the earth’s surface that those who are not so much and are close to space.

Besides, The air forms the atmospherethe soda layer that wraps the earth. As its origin indicates atmosphere means steam sphere, because the word derives from the Greek “atmós” which means steam and “sphaira” which means sphere. The atmosphere has about 500 km thick and is divided into troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, termosfera and exosphere based on the proximity or remoteness to the earth’s surface.

All living beings we are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen compounds. All these elements are found in the air, either in their natural form or being part of other compounds. Thanks to breathing, metabolic processes and biogeochemical cycles we are able to acquire these elements, incorporate them into our body and return a certain part to the air again. Thanks to the air we can breathe animalsplants can perform photosynthesis, we can protect ourselves from solar radiation while at the same time we get heat, and have water and wind. Next, we will explain in detail and point by point the Importance of air for living beings.

Most living beings breathe to live and for this we need the oxygen in the atmosphere. During breathing, we inspire oxygen and expired carbon dioxide. To be able to breathe, animals have developed different body structures where this occurs Gaseous exchange like gills in fish or lungs in mammals. In turn, our cells also breathe, and they do it in organists called mitochondria, where oxygen is used to oxidize an organic molecule such as glucose to obtain energy. As a result of this metabolic process, carbon dioxide is also released.

The plants and the rest of the photosynthetic organisms They use carbon dioxide present in the air as carbon source to create their structures and obtain energy. Thanks to the Rubisco enzyme (Ribulosa-1,5-bishoposphate carboxylase oxygenase) located in the chloroplasts of plant cells, carbon dioxide molecules can be joined. Subsequently, the molecular complex is separated and obtained; The carbon that the plant will use to grow and develop, the energy to perform other metabolic reactions and oxygen, which is released to the atmosphere and will be used by other living beings.

The ozone or ozonosphere layer It is a layer of the atmosphere that contains ozone (O3) and is between troposphere and stratosphere. The ozonosphere protects us from ultraviolet solar rays UV-B and infrared. Not having this protective shield life on Earth would not be possible due to intense radiation. Due to air pollution, especially CFC contamination (chloroflurocarbons gases), this layer has weakened and the well -known “holes” of the ozone layer have been created. The consequences are terrible especially about health and vegetation, as they cause skin and cancer injuries and can prevent plant development.

In the following article we explain in depth why the ozone layer is so important.

As we have said before, the air contains a Large percentage of water vapor. Water vapor forms clouds. When the clouds rise and cool because of the decrease in temperature the water vapor becomes precipitationand that falls to the earth’s surface in the form of water, ice or snow. Once the precipitation occurs, living beings have liquid water to hydrateas a means of life where to grow and reproduce, for its metabolic reactions, and so on. In this way the air plays a crucial role in the water cycle.

The wind is defined as moving air. He wind influences both local and global level and in coastal areas it is responsible for waves. The wind is also able to transport nutrients and microorganisms to different places. Many plants also depend on the wind for pollination and dispersion of their fruits. Some living beings such as insects, birds or mammals They need wind to fly and migrate To other places in search of territory, food and couple. For humans, wind is a very important economic resource because thanks to this movement of air we can obtain clean and cheap energy. In the following article we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy.

Finally, it is worth highlighting the greenhouse effect that, although a priori It is usually considered as a negative consequence of air pollution is really important for life on earth. Thanks to gases such as carbon dioxide or methane, a layer of gases is created in the atmosphere that allow the entry of solar rays, but not their exit. This makes the earth have a adequate temperature for liquid water on its surface which is essential for the development of life. It is a delicate balance because the excessive presence of these gases causes the planet to heat more than due and a global climate change is promoted, thus altering the physical and chemical processes that occur on earth and affecting the species that inhabit it.

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