What are the three main components of breathing gas?

Get ready for the SSI Specialty Course Enriched Air Nitrox (SC-EAN) 40% Level 2 Test. Review key concepts with flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and detailed explanations. Prepare for success!

The three main components of breathing gas are oxygen, nitrogen, and trace gases. In the context of air that divers commonly breathe, standard air consists primarily of approximately 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen, with the remaining 1% made up of trace gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, and others. This mixture is crucial for human respiration and supports life under normal atmospheric conditions.

Oxygen is essential for cellular respiration, while nitrogen is inert and serves to balance the composition of the gas without participating in metabolic reactions at normal pressures. Trace gases, although present in smaller amounts, can also play roles in the body’s physiological processes and can affect diving profiles, especially when considering nitrogen narcosis or the toxic effects of excessive oxygen at depth.

Therefore, the combination of these components forms the basis of breathing gas, making this answer accurate and relevant to understanding the composition necessary for safe diving practices and the use of modern diving gases.

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