Oxygen and the Eleven Plus

“Mum, do you have any different last minute advice? What did Auntie Stella tell you before you got married? I asked Auntie Stella but she just laughed.”

“She said, as she pinned the corsage onto me, breathe deeply.”

“Why did she laugh?”

“I think we were all happy.”

“But why should I breathe deeply before I sit the eleven plus?”

“It is funny you should ask this, but I know the answer. I remember from my examinations at school, all those years ago. Air passes through trachea or windpipe. Contractions from the diaphragm help to push the air into your lungs.

In the lungs there are little air sacs or alveoli where oxygen is extracted from the air. The oxygen is carried off to the heart.”

“Your Mum knows everything, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, Dad, but how much oxygen do you need in a day?”

“Well we need about fifteen litres an hour. Before your eleven plus you may need more oxygen in your body.  The extra oxygen could help you to think.”

“Ok, thank you. I know what you are going to say. This is one of your silly eleven plus questions. How much oxygen do you need in a day?”

“Do you mean an eleven plus day or an ordinary day?”

“Don’t be silly Dad. You know what I mean.”

“Ask your mother. She is better at maths than me.”