Partial air pressure and its effect on the human body

In the 18-19 centuries lived a famous English chemist and physicist John Dalton. The lack of formal education did not prevent him from becoming a well-known scientist and make a considerable contribution to the development of science. Up to all he has reached independently, only by means of self-education and the inquisitive mind. When Dalton turned 21, he began his scientific work. He was very interested in the air. And 57 years of his life the scientist spent in observations of the atmosphere of our planet. He kept his meteorological diary, in which over two hundred thousand observations were recorded.

The works of Dalton were not in vain and resulted in several gas laws. And one of them is the law of partial pressures. The scientist sought to understand why different gases in the atmosphere make up a mixture, and are not stacked on top of each other according to the density of each. He carried out various studies and realized that, no matter how many gases are mixed in a vessel, each of them will occupy all of its volume.

Take at least our atmosphere. It, too, is one big vessel, in which, however, there are no walls. But different gases are held by the earth at the expense of its gravitation. And they all fill themselves with the surrounding space. And if the gas is in the vessel, then, accordingly, it exerts pressure on its walls. And the more this gas in this vessel, the higher the pressure. And the atmospheric air in this case presses on the surface of the Earth. And this pressure equals the weight of the air column, which starts at the surface of the planet and ends in the upper layers of the atmosphere. And every gas that is a part of the air, contributes its part to this process. And the partial pressure is this fraction of each gas in the total pressure.

According to physical laws, the partial pressure of gases is directly proportional to their fraction in each gas mixture. As part of our atmosphere there is oxygen, which all living organisms use for breathing. Its share of the total air volume is 21%. And if you take the density of air high in the mountains and above sea level, then everywhere it will be different. The higher the altitude, the less gravity becomes. And from this air at higher altitudes becomes more sparse. Also, the air pressure varies, depending on the weather. In areas where there is cyclonic activity, it is below normal, and in areas with anticyclone, the pressure is higher than the standard 760 millimeters of mercury. And if the air pressure rises or falls, the oxygen partial pressure also changes accordingly.

This factor has a great impact on the human body. After all, the greater the partial pressure of this gas, the better they are supplied with all the tissues of our body. If you take the residents of high-mountainous areas, they have already adapted to the lack of oxygen at a genetic level. And for those who live on the plain, it takes some time to get used to it. Children are also more sensitive to such differences. After all, they have a process of oxidative metabolism is much more intense than in adults. And if a storm approaches, the little children begin to be capricious. After a thunderstorm front is a zone of low pressure and the partial pressure of oxygen in it, respectively, is also below the norm.

This physical law should also be taken into account for those who are going to go on vacation to high-altitude areas and take their children with them. Such trips will, of course, go to the children's benefit, if some rules are observed. This is less stressful situations, less running around and strict adherence to the regime. And it is better not to carry small children from the flat areas to a height of over 2000 meters for rest. We must wait until they get stronger.