O air it is a fundamental element, being formed by a combination of gases, water vapor and suspended particles. It is, therefore, a vital substance for the maintenance of life on earth, alongside water and soil.
Furthermore, air is essential for the climate, the distribution of rain and the dispersion of seeds which favor agricultural production. On the other hand, it favors the development of various diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and microorganisms, which are carried by the air currents.
Also read about: The Importance of Water
Air composition
The main elements that make up the air are essentially nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) and in small amounts argon (0.94%), carbon dioxide (0.03%), neon (0.0015%). Although it has weight and takes up space in the atmosphere, note that air is a set of substances that have no color, no smell, no taste, and that we cannot see or touch.
See more at: air composition and air properties
The Importance of Air for Living Beings
When we breathe, the air from the atmosphere enters our body and is filtered through the nostrils until it reaches the lungs, which will be used for energy production. The breathing mechanism is carried out as follows: we breathe oxygen (O
2) and release carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, which will be absorbed by plants and other autotrophic beings in the process called photosynthesis.In such a way, the plants, important in this process, will release oxygen, which is extremely necessary for other living beings. It is important to highlight that the sounds emitted by the vocal cords can only be produced by the existence of air.
Many experts claim that the act of “knowing how to breathe” can free us from several diseases. In this sense, it is noteworthy that in many parts of the world, especially in large cities, the air has become polluted, which has generated many respiratory and neurological diseases.
Understand better about this process in Oxygen Cycle.
Air pollution
THE air pollution or air pollution is a very recurrent theme nowadays, since with the growth of cities as well as demographic expansion have significantly changed the quality of the air that we breathe.
In addition to the expansion of industries and the increase of automobiles, many other factors affect air quality, for example, the reduction of spaces green, since plants are important in the process of the oxygen cycle, burning, the use of insecticides and pesticides in agriculture, among others.
Note that when air quality is affected, the ecosystem and the factors surrounding it (climate, soil, water) are also changed, thus causing several phenomena, for example, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, thermal inversion and the destruction of the layer of ozone.
