Effects of Higher Oxygen Content on living things

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-03-15 01:29pm

The idea of a human arriving in the Paleozoic era (where, when plants developed) got me to wonder how a higher oxygen content in the atmosphere (30% more IIRC) would effect an organism (humans, to be specific.

So, what would the overal/general effect for the short term? (a few days)

The long term? (years or more)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-03-15 02:53pm

Short term, a modern human would become dizzy from superoxygenation and likely remain that way. Long term, lifespans dramatically decrease as the excess oxygen poisons cells and accelerates genetic decay.

On the plus side, fucking eagle sized dragonflies, man!

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-03-15 03:05pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Short term, a modern human would become dizzy from superoxygenation and likely remain that way. Long term, lifespans dramatically decrease as the excess oxygen poisons cells and accelerates genetic decay.

On the plus side, fucking eagle sized dragonflies, man!

Six drumsticks!

Cykeisme · Post by **Cykeisme** » 2006-03-19 01:48pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Short term, a modern human would become dizzy from superoxygenation and likely remain that way. Long term, lifespans dramatically decrease as the excess oxygen poisons cells and accelerates genetic decay.

Why does superoxygenation do that? What exactly happens to a person's blood, brain and muscle tissue etc when there's too much oxygen?

CaptainChewbacca wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:On the plus side, fucking eagle sized dragonflies, man!
Six drumsticks!

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2006-03-19 02:07pm

Cykeisme wrote:Why does superoxygenation do that? What exactly happens to a person's blood, brain and muscle tissue etc when there's too much oxygen?

Oyxgen is toxic it too high a concentration and can lead to oxygen narcosis. That's why divers don't put mere pressurized air in their diving cylinders, because in that concentration in deep diving, both nitrogen and oxygen becomse toxic (hence they mix in large amount of helium).

Cos Dashit · Post by **Cos Dashit** » 2006-03-19 02:32pm

Would everything on the planet become much more prone to burning? 30% more oxygen, wouldn't you have to be careful when dropping a stick on a rock?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-03-19 02:43pm

Cos Dashit wrote:Would everything on the planet become much more prone to burning? 30% more oxygen, wouldn't you have to be careful when dropping a stick on a rock?

Yes, in fact, thunderstorms back then were mobile warzones, with any lightning strike on a tree or something causing an explosion and a fairly sizeable firestorm.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2006-03-21 01:34pm

Wouldn't your chance of cancer greatly increase over the long-term too, from all the cell damage? I remember reading that in a paragraph in James Lovelock's hypothetical scenario book called The Greening of Mars.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-03-21 01:49pm

Yes, because as stated, oxygen is extremely toxic and the reason we age is basically down to accumulated genetic defects from free radicals and other reactive oxygen species. Unfortunately, it's our best electron donor/acceptor, so we need O2.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-03-21 07:15pm

Would such reactive particles be necessary for metabolism in higher species? What I mean is, would aliens necessarily suffer from the effects of oxygen-like particles while breathing?