The vital activity of living beings on Earth including humans takes place in the conditions of close interaction with the environment, by which we mean air, water, soil, and other objects, which represent a single complex, called the biosphere. Thus, the biosphere is an area of active life, the habitat of living organisms. The term «biosphere» was introduced by the Austrian scientist Edward Süss in 1875. Later, the biosphere theory was developed by scientists from all over the world. A great contribution to the study of the biosphere was made, first of all by the Russian academician V.I. Vernadsky.
Currently, great importance is attached to the study of the biosphere influence on the human body. The most important component of the biosphere is the air environment, whose presence is a necessary condition for the existence of life on Earth.
The meaning of the air medium for human
1. Air is necessary for the respiration of humans, animals and plants. Oxygen which is contained in the air provides the body with biochemical processes and metabolism. At the same time, the air environment is a reservoir that receives the gaseous metabolic products of the body.
2. The air environment regulates the processes of human heat transfer, and also the heatproof properties of clothing, shoes, and housing.
3. Air is the most important factor in toughening up.
4. The state of the air environment determines the quantity and quality of solar radiation at the surface of the Earth.
5. Changes in the physical parameters of the air environment such as temperature, humidity, mobility, and atmospheric pressure, lead to the climate change.
6. The air environment contributes to the cycling of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in nature.