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The amount of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere increased gradually over millions of years due to the process of photosynthesis by early bacteria and later by plants. These organisms released oxygen as a byproduct, which accumulated in the atmosphere and changed its composition over time. This process, known as the Great Oxidation Event, occurred around 2.4 billion years ago and significantly increased the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere.
The increase in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere was attributed to the process of photosynthesis carried out by early cyanobacteria and plants. These organisms converted carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, gradually increasing the oxygen levels in the atmosphere over millions of years.
Scientists believe that the amount of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere has increased over time due to the evolution of photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and cyanobacteria. These organisms release oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, leading to an accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere.
During the Precambrian time, the Earth's atmosphere underwent significant changes, transitioning from a reducing atmosphere dominated by gases like methane and ammonia to an oxidizing atmosphere with increasing levels of oxygen, due to the development of photosynthetic organisms. This increase in oxygen levels laid the foundation for the evolution of complex multicellular life forms.
Algae played a critical role in changing the atmosphere of Earth by producing oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, which gradually increased the oxygen levels in the atmosphere. This oxygenation helped create conditions that supported the evolution of more complex life forms over time.
The increase in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is mainly due to the evolution of photosynthetic organisms like cyanobacteria and plants, which produce oxygen as a byproduct. Over time, these organisms gradually increased oxygen levels through the process of photosynthesis. This led to the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere from less than 1% to the current level of around 21%.