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O: 2·6

elements · 8 / 118 · All 118

O

Oxygen

8
Mass 
15.999
Lifeforce 
Water
In the body 
heart, lungs, bones, muscle, dna

The breath itself: between air and water, between life and rust. 65% of your body, 21% of the atmosphere, 89% of the oceans. The most abundant element in the human body.

A still bowl on a stone catches rain, overflows and waters young sprouts.
Plate · Water Water grasps at nothing. It receives, until the bowl overflows and feeds.

The third most abundant element in the universe. Born in massive stars; released in supernovae. Every breath you take is borrowed from stardust.

Lab note · Powers every cell. Your mitochondria burn it to release the energy stored in food. Without it, brain death in four minutes.

Tool · Cosmic origin

Where your atoms come from

O · Star fusion

Forged in the cores of living stars over billions of years of stellar fusion.

14 of the 118 elements share this origin.

Choose a stage: click, or arrow keys. · Cosmic nucleosynthesis · current standard model

Tool · Periodic table

Your place in the system

  • Fire
  • Water
  • Air
  • Earth
  • Source

Click any element to go there.