Oxygen

Oxygen (represented in-game using the symbol ) is a compound that is present as an environmental gas in multiple Biomes in the Microbe Stage.

Scientific Background

Oxygen is a chemical element with an atomic number of 8, represented by the symbol O. It is a highly reactive element, acting as a potent oxidizing agent (indeed, its name is the origin of the word "oxidation"). It is the third most-abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium.

Oxygen gas (O₂) is produced by real-world Earth plants and other photosynthetic organisms as a by-product of photosynthesis, and is also vital for the survival of all eukaryotic organisms which use cellular respiration. Some microbes (termed anaerobes) do not require ambient oxygen to survive; in the most extreme cases, oxygen may in fact be toxic to certain anaerobes at normal atmospheric concentrations.