the carbon cycle

• living things are made of materials they took from the world around them, like plants turn elements like carbon from the soil and the air into complex compounds
• these materials are returned to the environment in waste products , or when organisms die or decay
• materials decay because they are digested by microorganisms. This happens faster in warm, moist, aerobic conditions as microorganisms are more active
• decay puts stuff that plants need to grow back into the soil
• in a stable community, the materials that are taken out of the soil are used by plants are balanced by those that are out back in. constant cycle
• fossil fuels are made of decayed plants and animal matter
• 1. CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by green plants and algae during photosynthesis. The carbon is used to make glucose, where can be turned into carbohydrates and fats and proteins that make up the bodies of plants and algae
• 2- when the plants and algae respire, some carbon is returned back into the atmosphere as co2
• 3- when the plants and algae are eaten by animals, some carbon becomes part of the fats and proteins in their body. The carbon them moves through the food chain.
• 4- when the animals respire, some carbon is returned into the atmosphere as co2
• 5- when plants, algae and animals die, detritus feeders and microorganisms feed on their remains. When these respire, CO2 is returned back into the atmosphere
• 6- animals also produce waste that is broken down by detritus feeders and microorganisms
• 7- the combustion of wood and fossil fuels also releases co2 back into the air
• 8- so carbon and energy is constantly recycled- from the air, through food chains, algae and animals, detritus feeders and microorganisms and back into the air again