Hengityskaasun

Hengityskaasun is a Finnish term that translates to "respiratory gas" or "gas for breathing" in English. It refers to any gas or mixture of gases that is inhaled and exhaled by an organism as part of its respiratory process. In most terrestrial animals, including humans, the primary respiratory gas is atmospheric air, which is a mixture largely composed of nitrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is essential for cellular respiration, the process that provides energy for life, while carbon dioxide is a waste product of this process that must be expelled from the body.

The specific composition of hengityskaasu can vary depending on the environment and the organism's adaptations. For instance, aquatic animals extract dissolved oxygen from water, which contains a much lower concentration of oxygen than air. Divers and astronauts use specialized mixtures of gases, such as enriched oxygen or helium-oxygen mixtures, to breathe in environments with altered atmospheric pressures or oxygen levels. The study of hengityskaasu involves understanding gas exchange, lung function, blood transport of gases, and the physiological effects of different gas compositions and pressures on living organisms. The term is generally used in a biological or medical context.