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Day in the life of an O2 molecule
6
Day in the life of an O2 molecule
Amelie
Entering the body
O2 enters the body either through your mouth or nose. This story begins with the nose. O2 enters the nose through one of two nostrils. After entering the nostril O2 will be faced with a bunch of tiny hairs and mucus. These help filter out any bacteria or dust. The nostrils leads into the nasal cavity, which takes the oxygen to the pharynx.
Stage 1
Graphic
Path to lungs
Stage 2
After the nasal cavity, O2 travels to the pharynx (throat). This connects the nasal cavity and the mouth to the larynx and oesophagus. At the top of the larynx, a small valve is present which separates the O2 pathway from where food goes. This valve is called the epiglottis. It is open to the larynx and closed to the oesophagus, but then when food is being swallowed, the epiglottis closes the larynx.
Graphic
The lungs
Upon passing through the Larynx, O2 goes through the trachea to the lungs. The trachea is a bunch of cartilage rings and smooth muscle fibres that expand as oxygen passes through. To get inside the lungs O2 must choose which bronchus to enter (left or right). The diaphragm helps the lungs push oxygen through the body since lungs are not made of muscles. In the bronchus there are tubes called bronchioles. These bronchioles lead to sacs called alveoli. The oxygen diffuses through the alveoli into the blood vessels.
Stage 3
Graphic
Entering the blood
Stage 4
oxygen moves across paper-thin walls to tiny blood vessels called capillaries and into your blood. Since there is very little distance between the alveoli and the capillaries, gas exchange can occur quickly. After entering the capillaries oxygen enters the erythrocytes (red blood cells). A protein called haemoglobin in the red blood cells then bonds to the oxygen and carries it to the gastrocnemius.
Graphic
Internal respiration
Stage 5
Internal Respiration is a process in which oxygen diffuses (simple diffusion) out of the blood and into the working tissues. Because of the different pressures inside and outside of the tissue it creates a pressure gradient which makes the oxygen detach from the haemoglobin. The oxygen then diffuses out of the blood, crosses the interstitial space, and enters the tissue.
Graphic
Cellular respiration
Once O2 reaches the calf muscle it must go through cellular respiration. Cellular respiration happens in the mitochondria. This is the process of creating energy in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) form. The cell will undergo pyruvate oxidation (link cycle) this leads to the krebs cycle which in turn leads to the ETC (electron transport chain). This whole process creates ATP which powers the calf muscle. C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP