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November 21, 2024The Breath of Life – Air: Air is one of the most important life-supporting factors of the environment and can be termed “the breath of life”. Air is a mixture of various gases, water vapour and dust particles. It is colourless and odourless and is essential for living beings to survive on this earth.
So, what is air? How does air support our life? What are the ill effects of polluted air on our health? Why is air called the breath of life? In this article, we will help you understand all about Air – the Breath of Life. So, keep reading!
A healthy atmosphere supports and influences life in the following ways:
Air is a mixture of gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other trace gases. Air also contains water vapour and suspended impurities (dust particles). When the air gets heated due to high temperature, it rises up and creates a low-pressure zone that attracts the cool air to move into its place from a high-pressure zone. The movement of air causes winds.
Air is a mixture of colourless and odourless gases. It is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases (mainly including carbon dioxide and argon) and water vapour. The water vapour determines the moisture present in the air. The moisture content of the air varies from place to place. The arid region (the desert) has less moisture content compared to wetlands having plenty of rainfall.
Fig: Composition of Air
In the sections below, we will talk about the environmental and biological importance of air.
Air is an inexhaustible natural resource that is available in unlimited amounts. Just like water and other natural resources, the air is also important for the survival of living organisms. The main applications of air are as follows:
1. Air plays an important role in climate control. Air is a bad conductor of heat. Therefore, it helps to maintain the temperature of the Earth by circulating hot and cold air.
2. The circulation of air also contributes to the water cycle.
3. The moving air helps in the dispersal of seeds.
4. Air contains oxygen that helps in the burning (combustion) of fuels.
5. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are required for plant growth and development.
6. Moving air facilitates the locomotion and migration of flying animals.
Fig: Importance of Air
The undesirable changes in the physical, chemical and biological properties of the environment are called pollution. Air pollution is defined as the contamination of air with foreign particles and gases that are harmful to humans, animals, vegetation, and buildings.
The major causes of air pollution include:
1. Burning of fossil fuels
2. Gas emitted by automobiles
3. Gas emitted by factories
4. Mining activities
5. Deforestation
The atmosphere is the part of the biosphere that is made up of different types of gases. The mixture of gases is called air. Air is an inexhaustible natural resource. We cannot imagine our life without air. Air which consists of oxygen is one of the main suppliers of energy. Cells are the basic structural unit of all living beings. These cells extract oxygen from the blood (in advanced animals) to produce energy in the form of ATP. The generation of ATP is essential to run several physical and metabolic activities and therefore maintains life on the Earth.
Q.1. Why is air called the breath of life?
Ans: Air is called the breath of life because it contains oxygen that is essential to sustain life. The carbon dioxide is utilised by the plant in the process of photosynthesis.
Q.2. What is the importance of air?
Ans: Air contains oxygen that combines with food and provides energy for various living activities. This process is called respiration. Plants utilise carbon dioxide for the synthesis of food required for plant growth and development.
Q.3. Who discovered oxygen?
Ans: Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen on 1st August 1774.
Q.4. How is carbon dioxide fixed in the atmosphere?
Ans: Carbon dioxide is fixed in the atmosphere by green plants during the process of photosynthesis.
Q.5. What do we exhale when we breathe?
Ans: All living beings (including plants, and animals) exhale carbon dioxide during breathing.
We hope this detailed article on The Breath of Life: Air helps you in your preparation. If you get stuck do let us know in the comments section below and we will get back to you at the earliest. Stay tuned to Embibe for more such information.