What phenomenon describes the buildup of nitrogen in tissues?

The phenomenon that describes the buildup of nitrogen in tissues is identified as nitrogen saturation. When a diver descends to significant depths and spends time at that depth, nitrogen from the breathing gas is absorbed into the body’s tissues due to increased pressure. As the pressure increases, the body becomes increasingly saturated with nitrogen, leading to a point where additional nitrogen is taken up until it reaches a saturation level.

Understanding nitrogen saturation is crucial in dive planning and safety, as it relates to the potential for nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness on ascent. Careful management of time spent at depth can help divers avoid complications associated with excessive nitrogen buildup in the body.

Other options like nitrogen diffusion, depletion, or release describe different processes related to nitrogen, but they do not capture the specific concept of buildup in the tissues that occurs during deep diving. Nitrogen diffusion can refer to the movement of nitrogen out of tissues as pressure decreases, while depletion and release do not signify the accumulation that occurs during diving.