Our Air

One of the most important components of air is oxygen. Human beings and other animals use oxygen to convert the “fuels” in our bodies into energy that we use. Carbon dioxide is then produced by us as a by-product of respiration, as we convert the stored energy in our bodies into the energy for our activities.

In contrast, plants will actually take-in carbon dioxide and release oxygen as a by-product during the day, as they use a process called photosynthesis to convert energy from sunlight into energy stored as simple sugars.

Air is a mixture of many different gases. (See: Chemical Composition of Air)
In addition to the main components, there may be many other chemicals in the air that we breathe, but these are typically a very small percentage of the volume.

• Kids! Let KoKo the Chameleon teach you about the difference between Clean & Dirty Air.