Just Breathe: Stomata and Alveoli

Story:

Both plants and animals breathe. Animals breathe in the oxygen that plants give off and plants breathe in carbon dioxide that animals give off. Plants’ stomata in the leaves take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and through the process of photosynthesis generate oxygen, which is released through the stomata. In turn, animals inhale the oxygen, which reaches the alveoli in the lungs where it is transferred to the blood. From the blood, the oxygen reaches the cells; carbon dioxide is then released and travels from the blood to the alveoli and is exhaled into the atmosphere. We are part of a unified whole – we need each other to breathe to live.