Hi, I’m an OXYGEN atom! I’m part of a water molecule. I landed as a raindrop a couple of days ago, and I’ve been hanging out in the soil. I’ve sunk deeper and deeper into the soil each day. Now I’m getting close to tree roots

June 30 - Oxygen

Once I got close to those tree roots in the soil I got taken into the roots. Then from the roots of the tree I traveled all the way up to one of the leaves. The trip didn’t even take very long!

July 6 - Oxygen

Once I was in the leaf the plant used my water molecule to do PHOTOSYNTHESIS. During PHOTOSYNTHESIS the plant used carbon dioxide from the air and my water molecule to make a sugar molecule called glucose. The water molecule that I was a part of was broken apart and I was put into the air as an oxygen molecule

July 10 - Oxygen

I’ve been floating around in the atmosphere for a while. Whoa! Here comes a big wind! The wind just mixed me into the water in the pond! I guess that makes me DISSOLVED OXYGEN!

July 16 - Oxygen

Mmmm… Floating in the pond has been kind of relaxing. Oh – here comes a big bass. I just went right through his mouth and got stuck on his gills! From the gills I am being carried through the bloodstream to one of the fish’s cells. I wonder what will happen there!

July 22 - Oxygen

While in the fish’s cell I got to help with RESPIRATION! I helped the fish cell break apart glucose molecules and the fish’s cell got a burst of energy. The fish needs a lot of OXYGEN to make this happen. After I helped with RESPIRATION, I picked up a CARBON atom, and now I’m part of carbon dioxide in the fish’s bloodstream. Once we make it to the gills we’ll be back in the water again. Fish always give off carbon dioxide after respiration, just like humans!

July 25 - Oxygen

My carbon dioxide molecule got absorbed by the leaf of the elodea plant! I get to help make glucose molecules instead of breaking them apart. Using PHOTOSYNTHESIS, the plant just linked us with a bunch of other carbon dioxide molecules to make a glucose molecule. Glucose is a simple sugar that can provide energy for the plant. But, it looks like the plant has enough energy right now. So we’re getting linked with a bunch of other glucose molecules to make a starch. Starch is the perfect way for this plant to store a bunch of glucose molecules (and the energy they contain) for later

July 28 - Oxygen

Did you know that plants do RESPIRATION? I got to see it happen last night! Just like animals, plants use the process of RESPIRATION to gain energy from starch and glucose molecules. So, last night the plant took in a bunch of oxygen and used it during RESPIRATION to break down the starch molecule that I was a part of. When the starch molecule got broken apart, I was released from the plant as a part of a carbon dioxide molecule.

August 15 - Oxygen