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Oxygen is needed to help burn the sugars and fats we consume, to release the energy stored within them. The food is used to generate a molecule called ATP - Adenosine Triphosphate. In simple terms, ATP is a basic unit of stored energy that can be transferred from cell to cell. A complex cycle of chemical interactions, the Krebs Cycle, is responsible for producing the ATP in aerobic organisms like ourselves. The Oxygen is not used directly, it is used by one of the constituents to 'dump' electrons and refresh itself to a state where it can be used in the cycle. So without a supply of Oxygen, the cycle will grind to a halt.

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7y ago

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