Question

Where does the carbon dioxide in breath come from? What organisms use carbon dioxide to survive? Research the amount of carbon dioxide generally found in the air and in breath. Which has more carbon dioxide? What are some of the other sources of carbon dioxide in air? Based on your observations about the acidity of carbon dioxide dissolved in water, what ecological effects could be caused by excess carbon dioxide in the air?

Answer 1

Answer:

Although CO2 is generally known as a dangerous and nocious gas, the truth is that without it, life would not be possible, both in plants and animals. CO2 plays a vital part in animals in the breathing pattern and too low amounts of it may also bring problems. Given this background, the answers to your questions, would be:

1. CO2 is one of the results of energy production in organisms. Usually, when an organism produces ATP, the energy molecule, it will consume certain chemicals (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and others) that when they react, end up generating certain products: water and CO2. This CO2 is then expelled by the lungs, at least in animals and humans. Plants, however, during daylight, use this gas for food production, and in nightime switch their systems to expel CO2. This is why sleeping with a plant can be dangerous.

2. Bacteria are capable of using CO2 and from it generating pure oxygen, water and other products. Also, plants, in general, especially photosynthetic ones, need CO2 for their energy production processes. Algae, is also capable of using CO2, and thus oxygenating the oceans. Finally, there are fungi also capable of using CO2 and producing oxygen and water.

3. As of 2019, the amount of CO2 present in our air was of 413.0 parts per million, an all-time high. In human breath, the amount of CO2 released is of 500 lt per person, and in total, per year, people in the world can release about 2500 million tons, about 7% of the total amount released into the atmosphere.

4. Animal breathing, as well as certain activities like burning coal, wood, animal and human waste, waste management, are all examples of activities outside of breathing, that cause CO2. Plant decay, and animal carcass decay will also release CO2 into the atmosphere.

5. Probably the biggest effect that excessive CO2 dissolved in water, bringing up acidity in it, has, is, the production of acid rain. This has also proven devastating for crop growth, and agricultural production, as well as animal raising. The second is the production of further greenhouse effects. As the water evaporates, releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere, the situation becomes even graver with time. Today, we are witnessing rainfall that damages entire fields because of its higher acidity, and changes in atmosoheric conditions due to this excessive CO2.

Answer 2

Answer 1:

The carbon dioxide in the breathed out air is a by-product of the process of cell respiration. In respiration, a molecule of carbohydrate is converted into a CO2, H20, and energy which is released in form of ATP.

Answer 2:

All plants belonging to kingdom Plantae and plant-like organism like photosynthesizing bacteria need CO2 to survive. They use carbon dioxide in food making process, photosynthesis.

Answer 3:

• Amount of CO2 in the air: 0.03%
• Amount of CO2 in the breath: 4%

Hence it is proved from above statistics that breath has more carbon dioxide than air.

Answer 4:

There are two sources of CO2 in the air. Which are the following:

• Human sources: It includes activities of human involvement and release of CO2 artificially as in cement production, deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.
• Natural sources: Release of CO2 by natural processes as in decomposition, ocean release and respiration.

Answer 5:

• The major ecological effect is global warming.
• As CO2 is known as the greenhouse gas because it gives a greenhouse effect. Elevating concentration of CO2 in air forms a layer or sheath of CO2 over the earth which allows the entry of sun rays and stop it from reflecting back, trapping sun rays around earth increasing the temperature of earth day by day.
• It also causes plants to provide less evaporative cooling because in high concentration CO2 stomata shrink through which normally evaporation occurs when stomata are open.