I love my life! It is just AMAZING and I'm very much happy with who I am and what I do. I don't mind the fact that I'm a colourless, tasteless, odourless, gaseous element. Or that there are only 21 percent of my kind running free in the atmosphere. You need me. You can't survive without me. In fact, if I didn't exist, millions of you biological beings would die and become extinct. Don't believe me? Well, it just so happens that my exceptional self is needed to breathe. And this enables me to go on some fabulous journeys into the different parts of your body. Yes, I know your body inside out … even the embarrassing parts. 

 

I remember my first journey inside the human body. It was when I was a very young oxygen molecule. One day I was whizzing through the air, minding my own business like all the other naïve oxygen molecules, when suddenly, I heard a most peculiar sound. It was a sucking sound, which started soft and then steadily grew louder. So loud that it began to roar. Out of nowhere, a vortex-like force gripped hold, and roughly dragged me towards a very murky looking organ that you humans like to call the 'nose.' 

 

Now, the nasal passage could be a warm and comfortable, cavernous space, if not for those barbed-wire booby traps springing up in clumps at random intervals. The Cilia - rough, hardy little hairs that live inside the nostrils, stand dangerously erect amongst the doom and gloom.  Like troops of little commandos they silently wait, poised to catch and snatch any unsuspecting dust particles that followed me in. In fact, a number of particles had already been taken hostage. Struck with horror, and pinned against the walls of this treacherous cavern, they were covered head to foot in a stream of sticky mucous.

 

I heard another horrific growl. Another bout of sucking. Suddenly, I took a dark and speedy plunge down an ugly looking pipe called the trachea (windpipe). It was a twelve centimetre drop, a huge distance for a tiny oxygen molecule like myself. I was lucky to survive! Sitting up, I looked around to find myself deposited next to a couple of dividing tunnels that would lead me even further down into this human body. I knew that I did not have the strength to fight my way up against the terrible sucking that had brought me to this place, so it was here that I made my very first decision. I would take the left tunnel and pray that it led to the way out, to a place called the lungs.  Steadily I trudged along what turned out to be a maze of winding tunnels that kept dividing and dividing. I marvelled at just how many there were. There was an endless choice to pick from. But I began to notice that each time I made a choice, the inside space would become smaller and smaller. Soon I was having to crouch and crawl and slither my way along the tunnel floors. The squeeze was getting very tight. Would it ever end? Was I going to get stuck? Would I have to turn back? I could feel the sharp edge of panic. But just when it threatened to run rampant over my body, I finally saw it - the exit! In the distance were tiny little air sacs called Alveoli. They were not much bigger than myself and to my relief I could see that there were lines and lines of other oxygen molecules eagerly waiting to pass through. I moved closer and saw a slippery looking red substance on the other side of the air sacs. It was hypnotising, and smelled awfully appetising. I couldn't help myself. I took another step closer. My head began to spin as I entered a trance. The air sacs were even tighter than the tunnels, but I didn't seem to mind anymore. My body … it was diffusing into the delightfully red-looking substance. I suddenly realised what it was. It was blood! Blood was like strawberry jam to an oxygen molecule. No wonder I couldn't help myself. I was in the middle of a human blood stream! 

 

The human blood stream was like a fast moving highway. Red blood cells, like speeding taxis were racing from one populated destination to the next. Instinctively, I knew what to do next. I knew I needed to hitch a ride …

 

 

 

In pairs, draw quick sketches to illustrate the key ideas and events that occur in the text. You should have one sketch per paragraph. You may use captions (words, phrases and sentences) in your sketch. You will need to present your drawings to the class to explain what you think is happening.
Note: This activity is not an art work. It is for you to show your understanding of what is happening to Oxy the Oxygen molecule.