The air that we breathe is mostly made up of nitrogen (78%). 21% is oxygen which is needed for animals and humans in respiration and 0.03% is carbon dioxide which is needed for plants to make energy in a process called photosynthesis. The bit that is left is made up of rare gases like helium and argon and methane.
Then, which gases do we breathe in?
The permanent gases in air we exhale are roughly 78 per cent nitrogen, 15 to 18 per cent oxygen (we retain only a small amount), 4 to 5 per cent carbon dioxide and 0.96 per cent argon, the CO2 being of course used by plants during photosynthesis.
What are some gases found in the atmosphere?
Table 1 lists the eleven most abundant gases found in the Earth's lower atmosphere by volume. Of the gases listed, nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone are extremely important to the health of the Earth's biosphere.