The photosynthesis process is important, in that plants utilize the sunlight’s energy to create carbohydrates and oxygen out of water and carbon dioxide. Ozone is an allotrope that forms a protective layer of air in the upper atmosphere.

This gas has several positive characteristics. It dissolves easily in water and can be transported throughout the body by body fluids. We can also obtain oxygen gas of high purity by fractional distillation from liquefied air. It reacts with every element to produce oxides, except for inert gasses. It is therefore a very good oxidizing gas. The combustion of fuels is also dependent on oxygen. Oxygen can be used in welding and hospitals as well as many other industries.

What is Carbon Dioxide (CO2)?

The carbon dioxide molecule is triatomic, consisting of one oxygen and two carbon atoms. The double bonds between each oxygen atom and carbon are formed by the oxygen atoms. The molecule is linear in shape. Carbon dioxide has a molecular mass of 44 g ^-1. It is colorless and has the chemical formula CO2. Carbonic acid is formed when water dissolves. This gas is also denser. Carbon dioxide concentration in the air is only 0.03%.

The carbon cycle balances the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. This gas is released into the air by a variety of natural processes, including respiration and volcano eruptions, as well as human activity, such as burning fossil fuels in factories and vehicles. The process of photosynthesis also removes the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which deposits the carbonates over time.

The carbon cycle is disrupted by human interference, such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, which increases the level of CO2. Acid rain, global warming, the greenhouse gas effect, and other environmental issues have been caused by this. It is used to produce soft drinks in the baking industry and as a fire extinguisher.

What is the difference between oxygen and carbon dioxide?

• Oxygen is represented by the chemical formula O2, whereas carbon dioxide is shown as CO2.
• Carbon dioxide and oxygen play different roles in respiration. Inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide is the way we breathe.
• The molecular structure of CO2 and O2 is different. Carbon dioxide is made up of two oxygen atoms, while oxygen consists of two molecules.
• The mass of CO2 is slightly greater than that of O2. While oxygen has a molecular mass of 32 grams, CO2’s molecular weight is 44 grams. The gases in the air do not layer up because CO2 is heavier. The various gases in the atmosphere are kept mixed by convection and diffused.
• O2 is necessary for combustion. When a fuel reacts and emits heat, it is called combustion or burning. This reaction is started by a small heat burst or spark. The combustion process cannot take place if oxygen is absent. In contrast, CO2 does not burn and is non-flammable. By starving the fire of O2, CO2 will extinguish a flame.
• Oxygen boils and freezes at about -183° Celsius. Carbon dioxide boils and freezes at just -57.6 degrees Celsius.

Side-by-Side Comparison – Oxygen vs Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen	Carbon dioxide
Gases that are present in the air at a concentration of 21% or less, including oxygen, is an essential gas.	Less than 1% of the Earth’s surface is covered by carbon dioxide. The concentration is near 0.03%.
Most animals inhale oxygen.	Most animals exhale carbon dioxide.
The oxygen gas is diatomic, with 2 oxygen atoms bound together by a double bond.	Triatomic carbon dioxide molecules are found in nature. The carbon dioxide molecule is composed of one oxygen and two carbon atoms that are covalently bound together.
This is an element of modern periodicity that belongs to group 16.	This is not an element. It’s a molecule.
Oxygen has an atomic number of 8. Oxygen’s chemical formula is O2. Oxygen is represented by the symbol O. Oxygen has a molar weight of 16 grams per mol.	Carbon dioxide has the chemical formula CO2. Carbon dioxide has a mass molar of 44g/mol.
Other industries use it for hospitals, welding materials, etc. To clean dirty water, pure oxygen is pumped into the system.	In the production of cold drinks and soft drinks, carbon dioxide is also used. Carbon dioxide is used also in the baking industry.
As the oxygen levels are low at high altitudes, athletes need oxygen cylinders to reach high altitudes.	The fire extinguisher uses carbon dioxide gas.

Exchange of Oxygen with Carbon Dioxide

Inhaling oxygen is the primary purpose of our respiratory system. The oxygen that is inhaled enters the lungs and then reaches the Alveoli. Each layer of alveoli cells and surrounding capillaries is only 1 cell thick, and they are very close in contact. The thickness of this barrier between blood and air is approximately 1 micron. This air-blood membrane allows oxygen to quickly pass into the blood through the capillaries. Carbon dioxide is also exhaled from the alveoli after it passes through the air-blood barrier.

The lungs send oxygenated blood through the pulmonary venous system to the left of the heart. This side pumps blood throughout the body. (See Function of the Heart). The superior and inferior vena vegas return oxygen-deficient blood rich in carbon dioxide to the left side of the body. After the blood has been pumped to the lungs through the pulmonary arterial, it is oxygenated and releases carbon dioxide.

Even when the body is resting, approximately 5 to 8 liters (1 to 2 gallons), of air are drawn into and out of the lung each minute. About three-tenths a gallon (about 3 tenths a quart), of oxygen, is also transferred to the blood.

A similar amount of carbon dioxide is also exhaled as it moves from the alveoli to the blood. An individual can exhale and inhale more than 100 liters of air (approximately 26 gallons of air) per minute, and then extract three liters of oxygen (a bit less than one gallon of oxygen) from the air. It is possible to measure the energy expenditure of the body by measuring the oxygen consumption rate. Respiratory muscles are responsible for breathing in and out.