Questions about the human body

[fizzzzzzzzzzzy]

why does the human body need oxygen, what does the human body use it for.
is it possible to create a alternate gas that the human body can intake
Is it possible to alter human genetics to breathe poisons?

[iansmith]

Because oxygen is the electron acceptor and H+ acceptor for the reaction that creates ATP. Oxygen was probably used by earlier bacteria because photosynthetic microorganism polluted earth with oxygen.

In other organism and under anaerobic conditions, other compounds such as sulfur (Desulfuromonas), sulfate ions (Desulfovibrio), carbon dioxide (methanogens), and nitrate ions (enteric bacteria, Pseudomonas and Bacillus) can be used but special proteins are required. If you could integrate the proteins required to used the compound amount, it propably would not solve the problem. Our blood and lund are specialized to get oxygen in and to get carbon dioxide out. You would to change several component of human physiology.

Human could also have problem using poison because alot of poison block the respiratory chain and stop the transfer of electron and the translocation of H+. Major modification would be needed

[Phobos]

Check out info on "Kreb's Cycle".

[iansmith]

Phobos, it is acutally what happen after the kreb's cycle that is of interest, he would actually have to look for "Energy Metabolism", then "Electron Transport Portion".

http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/eltrans.html