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Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. It is a highly reactive nonmetallic period 2 element that readily forms compounds with almost all other elements. At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bind to form dioxygen, a colorless, odorless, tasteless diatomic gas with the formula O2. Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe by mass (after hydrogen and helium) and the most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust.

Because the uptake of oxygen is an important and essential part of respiration, oxygen supplementation is used in medicine. Oxygen therapy is used to treat emphysema, pneumonia, some heart disorders, and any disease that impairs the body's ability to take up and use gaseous oxygen.

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14y ago

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