The Carbon Cycle

• Why do many students find the carbon cycle tricky?

  They think it is more complex than it is
• What is the starting point of the carbon cycle?

  Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• How does carbon enter the carbon cycle?

  Through photosynthesis
• What do plants combine with carbon dioxide during photosynthesis?

  Water
• What is produced during photosynthesis?

  Sugar glucose
• What type of energy is used in photosynthesis?

  Light energy
• Who carries out photosynthesis?

  Plants and algae
• What process returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

  Aerobic respiration
• What is the difference between respiration and breathing?

  Respiration is a cellular process, breathing is not
• What are the two key processes in the carbon cycle?

  Photosynthesis and respiration
• What happens to carbon in plants during respiration?

  Some carbon is released as carbon dioxide
• How do animals obtain carbon from plants?

  By eating them
• What happens to carbon when animals respire?

  Some carbon is released as carbon dioxide
• What do animals release as waste products?

  Feces
• What happens to carbon in dead remains?

  It is broken down by decomposers
• Who are examples of decomposers?

  Bacteria and fungi
• What do decomposers return to the atmosphere during respiration?

  Carbon dioxide
• What additional role do decomposers play in the ecosystem?

  They release mineral ions to the soil
• What can happen to carbon in dead remains under certain conditions?

  It can be converted to fossil fuels
• How long does it take for carbon to be trapped as fossil fuels?

  Millions of years
• What has been happening to fossil fuels over the last 200 years?

  Humans have been burning them
• What is the result of burning fossil fuels?

  It releases carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere