ChatterBank0 min ago
breathing water
just watched the film 'the abyss' and it raised a question for me.
in the film the navy seals have a fluid which you can breath. Now, when we breath air, our lungs expand, drawing in the air and the oxygen is absorbed from the air into the blood stream. the excess waste air is then expelled and the process repeats.
So why cant we breath water? Why cant we extract the oxygen from water.
One thing i thought of was the concentration of oxygen in air as opposed to water but surely water with excess oxygen (one water company sells water with 8X more oxygen) which is used as sports drinks would provide enough oxygen.
in the film the navy seals have a fluid which you can breath. Now, when we breath air, our lungs expand, drawing in the air and the oxygen is absorbed from the air into the blood stream. the excess waste air is then expelled and the process repeats.
So why cant we breath water? Why cant we extract the oxygen from water.
One thing i thought of was the concentration of oxygen in air as opposed to water but surely water with excess oxygen (one water company sells water with 8X more oxygen) which is used as sports drinks would provide enough oxygen.
Answers
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Our bodies need a lot more chemicals besides oxygen. Carbon dioxide being a very common one, this 'hangs' in the bottom of out lungs and it is crucial to have a proper oxygen/CD balance.
When we hyperventilate through stress or fear, our lungs have a shortage of carbon dioxide, not oxygen. That's why breathing in an paper bag works because we inhale the previously exhaled CD. Breathing fresh air deeply in those situation only makes matters worse.
Fish have different blood to mammals and use a lot less oxygen so they can utlilise the oxygen in the water.
When we hyperventilate through stress or fear, our lungs have a shortage of carbon dioxide, not oxygen. That's why breathing in an paper bag works because we inhale the previously exhaled CD. Breathing fresh air deeply in those situation only makes matters worse.
Fish have different blood to mammals and use a lot less oxygen so they can utlilise the oxygen in the water.