Why is too much oxygen bad?

Question

please help thanks

plaase explain too why and what oxygen does to other attoms or elements in the body or plants

Answer 1

If a person would be on the top of a hill and take to deep breathing that fresh oxygen-laden air, and keep on doing it, he would become "oxygen drunk", fall to his knees, and actually stop breathing for a short while. What happened was that he flushed out almost all the CO2 in the bloodstream. The hypothalmus detected this and lowered the breathing rate to near zero, until the CO2 level came back up. As far as breathing too much O2 for too long, it might damage the bronchial tree.

Answer 2

Too much oxygen and we actually die.

The thing that keeps us breathing is the level of CO2 in our blood.

Edit:

Don't know about free radicals stealing electrons - my job's keeping people alive while they're being cut up.

Answer 3

To much oxygen in your blood (hypoxia I think its called) creates free radicals called super oxides (like peroxide O22-). These free radicals are deficient electrons, so they are extremely reactive. These free radicals steal electrons from surrounding tissues. This destabilizes the structural integrity of cell membranes which eventually leads to the collapse of cells.  Free radicals literally punch holes in cells. Free radicals also alter DNA and other cell structures. The main body systems that will be affected by free radicals are the central nervous system and the lungs. Of course people can breath pure oxygen. Sometimes pure oxygen is used to treat patients of 40-60min. But prolonged exposure to elevated levels of oxygen is deadly.