Carbon cycle
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Carbon is an essential element that cycles between the atmosphere, ocean, organisms, and geologic reservoirs as part of the carbon cycle. Photosynthesis incorporates carbon from the air and water into organic compounds, while respiration and decomposition release it back. Fossil fuels like coal and oil were formed from ancient plant and algae remains over millions of years. Burning fossil fuels returns carbon to the air, and limestone erosion also adds carbon back to the cycle through weathering. The carbon cycle continuously moves carbon between the biosphere and geosphere.
Carbon cycle
- 2. CARBON
- 3. Carbon is virtually important molecule in the carbon cycle. Proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and other molecules essential to life contain carbon.
- 4. Carbon is present in the atmosphere as the gas carbon dioxide (CO2), which makes up approximately 0.04% of the atmosphere. It is also present in the ocean and fresh water as dissolved carbon dioxide. Carbons are also present in rocks such as limestone (CaCO3)
- 6. The global moment of carbon between the abiotic environment, including the atmosphere and ocean, and organisms is known as the CARBON CYCLE.
- 8. Step 1: PHOTOSYNTHESIS • During photosynthesis, plants, algae, and cyanobacteria remove Carbon dioxide from the air and fix, or incorporate it into complex organic compounds such as glucose. • Photosynthesis incorporates carbon from the abiotic into the biological compounds of producers.
- 9. Step 2: DECOMPOSITION, ANIMAL & PLANT RESPIRATION, SOIL MICROORGANISM RESPIRATION. • Many of the compounds are used as fuel for cellular respiration by the producer that made them, by a consumer that eats producer, or by a decomposer that breaks down the remains of the producer or consumer. • The process of a cellular respiration returns Carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A similar carbon cycle occurs in aquatic ecosystems between aquatic organisms and dissolved Carbon dioxide in water.
- 10. Step 3: PARTLY DECOMPOSED PLANT REMAINS (COAL) Millions of years ago vast coal beds formed from the bodies of ancient trees that were buried and subjected to anaerobic conditions before they had fully decayed.
- 11. Step 4: MARINE PLANKTON REMAINS • The oils of unicellular marine organisms probably gave rise to the underground deposits of oil and natural gas that accumulated in the geologic past. • Coal, oil, and natural gas, called fossil fuels because they formed from the remains of ancient organisms. Fossil fuels are non- renewable resources. The Earth has a finite or limited supply of these resources.
- 12. Step 5: COMBUSTION (HUMAN & NATURAL) The process of burning or combustion, may return the carbon in oil, coal, natural gas, and wood to the atmosphere. In combustion, organic molecules are rapidly oxidized (combined with oxygen) and converted carbon dioxide and water with an accompanying release of light and heat.
- 13. Step 6: BURIAL AND COMPACTION TO FORM ROCK (LIMESTONE) An even greater amount of carbon that is stored for millions of years is incorporated into the shells of marine organisms. When these organisms die, their shells sink to the ocean floor and sediments cover them forming cemented together to form limestone, a meter thick.
- 14. Step 7: EROSION OF LIMESTONE TO FORM DISSOLVED CO2 When the process of geologic uplift expose limestone, chemical and physical weathering processes slowly erode it away. This returns carbon to the water and atmosphere where it is available to participate in the carbon cycle once again.
- 15. Thus, photosynthesis removes carbon from the abiotic environment and incorporate it into biological molecules while. Cellular respiration, combustion, and erosion of limestone return carbon to the water and atmosphere of the abiotic environment.