How altitude affects air and living organisms

1. Block 4 – Lesson 3

2. Do you think altitude
affects athletes?

3. Do you think altitude
affects athletes?
Yes, it does.

4. Altitude and Adaptations
When people or animals travel from
the Coastal region to the Highlands,
they experience a lack of oxygen
pressure (less air).
As a result, a process of
takes place, in order
to increase the amount of .
This process allows the body to
perform its natural functions under
different conditions.

5. THE AIR
It is the element living organisms
breathe in, in order to carry out the respiratory
process, which allows them to perform vital
functions like digestion, circulation, etc.
Human beings take in approximately 15Kg. of air
daily, much more than water.

6. AIR PROPERTIES
• It has less weight and less density than water.
• Its volume is indefinite.
• It does not exist in empty space.
• It is colorless, odorless and tasteless.
• It reacts under low temperatures and it
compresses in ice.

7. AIR COMPOSITION
It is composed of Nitrogen (78.1%), Oxygen
(20.9%), water vapor, Ozone, Carbon Dioxide,
Hydrogen and Noble Gases (1%).
Air composition does not vary from one place to
another. What does vary is atmospheric
pressure. It decreases as altitude increases.
At a height of 5.000m. oxygen pressure is
reduced by half.

8. Be careful
with the
SOROCHE*!!!
* Mountain sickness