Are there oxygen alternatives?

Both chlorine and fluorine gas are stronger oxidizers than oxygen [2]. In principle, we could get more energy from our food by using them as terminal electron acceptors. In practice, of course, both gasses are deadly poisons and chlorine gas in particular is a notorious chemical warfare agent.

Can humans breathe other than oxygen?

But we often take the air we breathe for granted. The air you breathe is made up of lots of things besides oxygen! About 78\% of the air you breathe is made up other gases such as nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide and methane, as well as a host of other things that are not good for your health.

What do animals and humans use for respiration?

oxygen
Well, respiration usually requires oxygen, and animals get their oxygen by breathing. Read on to find out more! All vertebrate animals that live on land have lungs. When we breathe in, the muscle below the rib cage (called the diaphragm) is pulled down, and air gets sucked into the rib cage, filling the lungs.

How do animals without a respiratory system get their oxygen?

Some animals take in oxygen only through the passive movement of air, called diffusion. Small animals that have low metabolisms, like zooplankton, tardigrades, and worms, can get all the oxygen they need from diffusion.

How do animals without diaphragm breathe?

Adult amphibians are lacking or have a reduced diaphragm, so breathing through the lungs is forced. The other means of breathing for amphibians is diffusion across the skin. To aid this diffusion, amphibian skin must remain moist. It has vascular tissues to make this gaseous exchange possible.

Can other animals control their breathing?

Breathing is similar: animals do not alter their breathing speed volitionally; their breathing normally only changes in response to running, resting, etc.

Which animal can survive without oxygen?

Henneguya salminicola
In a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , researchers have now identified the first animal that doesn’t use oxygen to breathe: Henneguya salminicola, an 8-millimeter white parasite that infects the flesh of Chinook salmon.