Breathing actually kills?

Question

I have heard that the price of staying alive, breathing, actually kills you at the same time! How can that be? Something that is essential to make one live is actually a toxin too? How is that possible?

Answer 1

Yup, oxygen oxidises our bodies. As we are carbon based lifeform, we lose carbon when we breathe out - hence, carbon dioxide.

Answer 2

What a cool question!

From the moment we are born we are dying the rate at which this happens is down to genetics. Apparently the size of your telomere, which degrades with every cell division, dictates how long you will live.

In evolutionary terms everything we do has a 'cost', including thinking and moving. Humans, (mammals) breathe using their lungs but also their diaphragm and intercostal muscles. This behaviour and ability to survive 'costs' us energy. Energy which could be spent on other functions such as higher cognitive abilities, greater movement or even a longer life.

Some animals breathe by diffusing oxygen through their skin (lungless salamander) and other animals regulate their breathing enabling them to slow their metabolism and thus live longer e.g. sloath. Animals such as hedgehogs, bears and some toads using this ability to hibernate.

I have never heard that breathing as a toxin. Respiration (which encompasses breathing) enables the body to utilise the essential ingredients but also gets rid of the waste materials (or toxins). I guess by not respiring properly then I suppose you would die of breathing.

I hope this has helped.

Answer 3

We are living in exactly that my friend! toxins... both man made and natural! Whilst we are now actively seeking solutions to these problems, all the good that has been done, is being outweighed by the current chinese industrial revolution! Albeit who are we to talk, we have contributed in the past!

Traffic fumes, arsonists setting fire to forests, de-forestation (chopping down trees), which incidently produces our oxygen supply by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2)! (Tree-CO2-Oxygen-Us!)

there are many forms of pollution, cancer causing toxins, many produced by transport!

this my friend is willful neglect by our governments, in many countries and states in the u.s. like California, car companies have shunned the idea of electric powered cars! for a variety of reasons, biggest being Money!

it's a sad fact of life, that you or I, are not worth anything to the government, other than taxation! This goes for there own children and grandchildren, as government and business is killing them all! These people are really quite ruthless in there own way! Put simply they do not care about anyone, other than there pockets!

Well a fantastic issue was raised recently that may make these governments and businesses fall in line so too speak! that is that the global economy will be radically affected by pollution and global warming... So many places are to suffer catacalysmic destuction on a massive scale, in our near future! Insurance companies, pensions, stocks and shares, transport, infrastucture, everything is going to be affected! You, them, I are all going to suffer the concequencies of our, and our ancestors mistakes!

The world is definatley changing! i for one want my children and grandchildren of the future, too at least have a future! Have a world to live in!

it's a desperate situation out there! Wars, famine, eco disasters!

we ALL have to face up to it now!

Peace!

Answer 4

When we breathe we not only take in the oxygen that we need but at the same time ingest all the pollutants that are in the air. Studies are showing higher rates of respiratory disease and cancer contracted from the pollutants that we so willingly spew into the air daily.

Answer 5

well, technically, from the second your born you begin to die. even though that day would be in probably about 80 years, you start aging. but i do not believe that breathing kills you, or else athlete would naturally die faster than average people, considering that its their job to run or lift weights, which require more breathing than most other jobs.

Answer 6

the reason breathing is sometimes toxic is that when you breathe you just take in air but what is in the air well air is not just made up of oxygen, hydrogen and other gases it also has a lot poisonous gases in it like carbon monoxide that is extremely dangerous

Answer 7

we need oxygen to live. but oxygen is the main ingredient need for deterioration. take rust for example. if you get a slab or iron, and expose it to oxygen, it will rust. thats why we put paint on our cars. so they dont deteriorate. the same thing with fruit. if you cut an apple and expose it to oxygen, it will turn brown. but if you put it in a helium chamber, nothing will happen to it. oxygen makes things rot. and therefore, our bodies, whilke we live, are rotting. if we die of old age, you have died due to the fact that you were exposed to the same thing that keeps you alive, oxygen.

Answer 8

I've heard metabolising food, the break down of food kills you. Never heard of just beathing

Answer 9

This story does not make sense. "I was playing with my son today..." and "now it's been a couple of months". Well which was it? And he jumped towards you and fell to the ground head first? I call BS.

Answer 10

I don't know for an experiment..try and stop breathing and see what happens..