Is oxygen poisonous to the human body?

When you think of oxygen, what comes to mind? Fresh air, crisp morning walks or maybe even your yoga instructor prompting you with ‘breathe in positivity and exhale all worries’. That’s right; we tend to associate oxygen with good things. But have you ever wondered whether it can have ill effects on our bodies as well? In this article, we will explore the question – is oxygen poisonous to the human body?

The Goodness and Badness of Oxygen

First off, let’s clear something up- if there’s anything true about a college student 8 hours before finals week starts: Oxygen isn’t bad per se – Yes! You read that right – oxygen isn’t really harmful unless present at extremely high levels. It’s omnipresent (everywhere) and plays a major role in helping us thrive peacefully. Without it, humans would simply slowly fade away until their last breath(e), quite literally.

The primary purpose of breathing is for our lungs to absorb life-giving oxygen from the air around us into our bloodstream, which then delivers it throughout our bodies via red blood cells. During natural metabolism processes inside living cells such as cellular respiration – carbohydrates combine with oxygen producing energy-rich chemical compounds– ADP/ATP combining water & CO2 as waste products.

Thus signaling how vital O2 is keeping us going(pun intended).

Hyperoxia: When too Much of Anything Turns Sour!

Not sold yet? Let me give an example here: Modafinil users take note – Overdosing on caffeine may be like “living life out loud” for some people but overdosing on Oxygen can actually kill (YIKES!). This phenomenon where excess atmospheric O2 is delivered increasing tension appears likely since hyperbaric therapy has tested therapeutic for certain conditions including carbon monoxide poisoning!
Too much of a good thing can definitely turn sour.

But let’s take the cue here that an extra oxygen molecule will only be classified as poisonous after it crosses beyond natural levels (more than 21%) and exceeds overall metabolic demand (wiki/wiki). Hence, not all scenarios where your body takes in higher amounts of O2 are necessarily dangerous. Unless you are somebody who experiences “golden blood”, (More on this later), or have ever been admitted into intensive care due to respiratory distress syndrome/acute lung injury then you should strictly maintain your oxygen consumption level.

Hypoxia: Oxygen Deficiency is Scary too!

Rest assured – In contrast, low concentrations of atmospheric O2 can induce horror-like scenes as well – hypoxia-induced hallucinations! Ever gone hiking at high elevations like Everest? Here’s evidence for my claim – When mountaineers ascend Kilimanjaro for which its summit 5845 meters above sea level, they climb with supplemental O2 tanks otherwise they risk experiencing peripheral vision loss and along with that a sense of physical exhaustion, Loss of coordination which hopefully one day I experience when limping outta gym post sessions but till then dreamon!

Hypoxia develops frequently in some patients within minutes-days during Acclimatization. This condition occurs after travelling from lower elevation regions up to more elevated ones- Say traveling across the Midwest United States towards Mexico City reaching ~2400 meters(7900 feet) altitude mark and further.(Wikipedia/Wiki) Fun fact: during periods when local forest fires impede air traffic control airplanes replacing onboard air filtration coughs, passengers may experience mild symptoms equivalent to Short term exposure rather than any severe illnesses such as brain damage or death thankfully since neither passenger nor crew require medical attention

Who Knew Golden Blood Could Be Deadly!!!!

Here’s something mind-bendingly weird called Golden Blood; Sound Fancy right? Get this – It’s not your upscale restaurant drink, but indeed a very unique blood type found mainly in Jain families of India called RH Negative. Its intrinsic properties mean that it can be transfused into any person without fear of antigen and antibody response similar to O-blood group universal donors.

However!!! if the recipient has anemia or erythrocytosis (excessive numbers of red cells) induced by whatever reason then Golden Blood becomes toxic when exchanged between patients which complicating the prognosis/cure medical condition for both recipients due to sudden oxygen influx! (helix.nih)

Tending Gasping Fish Gills

Nevertheless, you do tend to wonder about respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)- why does this occur? This happens when air sacs within lungs are filled with fluid instead of inflating normally leading Oxygen deprivation.
Fish certainly don’t have lungs but rather they breathe through gills extracting dissolved O2 from water – their equivalent “lungs.” For Aqua-fans out there- Picture fished gasping at surface level simply put: They’re trying on borrowing/leeching more atmospheric/oxygen-rich resources outside H20 than they require.

So here’s what happens when humans consume too much oxygen as well; it creates free radicals- unstable molecules containing unpaired electrons that attack healthy cells in its immediate vicinity. These rogues cause cell damage, contributing significantly towards ageing process!(healthline) And we all know how dreadful aging gracefully like cheese is!

More Fun Facts On Hyperoxia/Hypoxia

Here are some other interesting facts regarding hyperoxia/hypoxia:

Asphyxiation

Inhaling pure inert gases available around us could reduce concentrations compulsorily & even induce suffocation-like symptoms simulated via hypoxic environment sound deadlier than really is! This works because absence/asteroid impact blocking respiration will often lead up to inhaling nearly 99 percent molecular nitrogen in the atmosphere.

Altovations

As oxygen content decreases at higher altitudes, modifications might need to compensate such as increased vital capacity and respiration rates. Several athletes have reported lung-adjacent challenges when performing at elite levels above background height levels.

Here’s a table demonstration;

Altitude (m) Equivalence to Oxygen %
0m(Sea-Level) 21% O2 in & Out Elected
3000 Akin 15% Corresponding
5000 meters Reaching Majority HR Ceiling -> Extreme Athletic Issues

Bottom line? It’s crucial our bodies obtain adequate O2 supply according to regional guidelines regulated Health organizations(WHO).

Conclusion

Finally, just like everything else in life, excess amounts of oxygen can be harmful as well. While it plays a monumental role in helping us sustain life by aiding natural metabolic processes, excessive inhalation of atmospheric O2 crosses over the barrier surpassing acceptable limits thus transforming itself into something toxic(Hyperoxia). Insufficient oxygen is detrimental too – Under-supplyting your body not only leads to anxiety but peripheral vision loss and disorientation present themselves making everyday activities tedious chores which hopefully we could all do without.
So go ahead breathe easy knowing that there strikes some delicate balance between breathing right amount whilst protecting ourselves against any sharp negative effects!

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