Atmospheric Oxygen
Contributed By
PBS Learning Media
Atmospheric Oxygen
Most organisms have evolved to live in an environment that has a very specific set of conditions. Those creatures that breathe air, for example, have come to rely on that air containing about 21 percent oxygen. If this percentage were to change suddenly, most organisms would have difficulty coping with the new conditions. In this feature, adapted from Interactive NOVA: "Earth," see how important not only the presence but the precise amount of oxygen is to life on Earth.