Where does the oxygen that keeps us alive come from?
(1) Carbon dioxide
(2) Carbonates absorbed from the soil
(3) Oxides of minerals
(4) Water
Answer: (4) Since water and carbon dioxide are both compounds that contain oxygen, it is possible to obtain oxygen from either. The oxygen produced from photosynthesis is not released into the air. It is not until cellular respiration that oxygen is released. The oxygen comes from water. The water molecules are split at the “beginning” of photosynthesis for the electrons. These electrons eventually make their way to the electron transport chain, where oxygen is the final electron accepted and then released into the air. Scientists agree that there’s oxygen from ocean plants in every breath we take. Most of this oxygen comes from tiny ocean plants – called phytoplankton – that live near the water’s surface and drift with the currents. Like all plants, they photosynthesize – that is, they use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food. A byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen.
