How is our body able withstand the pressure of miles of air in the atmosphere?
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First off, we were born into it. Honestly, if we didn’t have about 14 pounds per square inch pressing down on us we’d suffer and possibly die. That pressure keeps our blood from boiling and oxygen from leeching out of our lungs. Our bodies exert about that much pressure on the air around us and that keeps things balanced.
Second, air pressure hits us from all directions equally. Yes, the air is pushing you down but the air underneath you is pushing you up. You’re being pushing forwards, back, left, and right all in about equal measure so the net effect is just a gentle squeeze rather than a crushing force.
Because it evolved to do so. All life has evolved on this planet under these conditions so as organisms got larger and more complex, that came with it the necessary internal and external structures to survive in the conditions of its environment.
Don’t forget that life came from the sea where the pressure is even greater.
And also don’t forget that we aren’t sealed tight. We establish an equilibrium with our environment.
Every 1 inch by 1 inch column of atmosohere weighs 15 pounds. It could weight 30, 69, or 90 pounds and make no difference because the pressure is equalized throughout our body.
Pressure only causes problems when it tries to enter or escape a sealed rigid vessel, like your nasal sinuses or middle ear. If your sinus passages or eustachian tubes are inflamed, atmosphere cannot pass to equalize pressure differences, which causes pain or physical tissue damage if the differential pressure becomes too high.
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