1
What happens to human beings if there is no oxygen gas to breathe?
we will die! ☹
2
Why do humans and animals die if they don’t get oxygen?
read on!
Oxygen helps to give energy to all the cells of our body (we also need food for this). Without oxygen, the cells have no energy. This means, for example, that muscle cells cannot contract to help us move; nerve cells cannot take messages to and from the brain; eye cells cannot process the light that reaches them. In fact, without energy, the cells soon die.
It’s also important that waste substances are removed from cells, and the questions below ask you about one of these.
Imagery by Hollyanne Schnieden
Try working out the answers to the following questions before clicking on the 'Show Answer' buttons – how many did you get right?
1
When our cells use oxygen, they produce a waste gas. What is its name?
carbon dioxide
2
How do we get rid of this gas from our bodies?
it leaves our lungs when we breathe out (ie. exhale)