Over time, the star-gas-star cycle leads the gas in the Milky Way to what?

The star-gas-star cycle refers to the ongoing process of star formation, the life cycle of stars, and their eventual death, which influences the chemical composition of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way galaxy. When stars form, they fuse hydrogen into helium and, over time, produce heavier elements through nuclear fusion in their cores. These heavier elements, known as "metals" in astronomical terms (which include all elements heavier than helium), are then released back into space when stars explode as supernovae or shed their outer layers at the end of their life cycles.

As new generations of stars form from this enriched gas, the overall abundance of heavy elements in the Milky Way increases. This process contributes to a gradual enrichment of the interstellar medium with heavy elements over time. Therefore, as the star-gas-star cycle continues, the gas in the Milky Way becomes more enriched in heavy elements, leading to the correct answer that the gas has a greater abundance of heavy elements.