Morales CS

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ABSTRACT

The current amount of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere is the evolutionary result of a biophysiological and biochemical balances between oxygen-consuming animals and photosynthetically-producing plants. At the onset of life Earth’s atmosphere was devoid of oxygen, and thus was notably reductive.
Having this gas existed, the first molecules would have been destroyed as a result of oxidation. The incorporation of oxygen into the environment was slowly and progressive, and this event contributed to to the origin and development of life. Thus, the living organisms evolved from an anaerobic mode of respiration to an aerobic one, which allowed the synnthesis of a greater number of ATP molecules. Without this form of energy, no organic life would have been possible, wether be it plant, animal or human. The mere fact of being alive requires certain needs of energy (ergosy), which are characteristics of the life cycle’s organism. If these energy requirements are not properly satisfied, the risk of becoming sick within an specified period of time increases. Food support of the nutritional wellbeing is essential to life expectancy as well as to its quality. As disease increases the subject´s metabolic requeriments, proper feeding becomes a key element of every therapeutic procedure. Thus, the physician should be constantly alerted about an oxygen defficiency already established, or take actions for preventing it, always with the goal of favourably modifying the course of several diseases. In this regard, the role of Hyperbaric Oxygenation (HBO) shoul be considered. There are not doubt then that oxygen is a vital element. Should we then consider it as a nutrient?

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