Carbon Cycle

Carbon can also be harmful. Describe one major way that carbon is threatening our way of life on Earth

Carbon dioxide traps the heat of the sun, dangerously warming the Earth.

How does carbon get into the ocean?

Carbon is diffused into the ocean from the air.

compare and contrast the way carbon is used in respiration and photosynthesis.

Carbon is released by respiration and and used by photosynthesis. It's a crucial part of both processes.

What happens in decomposition?

Fungi and some bacteria get energy by breaking down waste and remains of dead animals into smaller molecules. CO2 is released

the burning of fossil fuels which releases which releases carbon dioxide into the air

Industrial Emissions

What happens with fossil fuels during the carbon cycle?

The fossil fuels are burned and trees release CO2 back into the environment

How does carbon get into the ground?

When carbon based life forms die, their carbon is returned to the soil by decomposers

The most common form that carbon takes in the atmosphere

carbon dioxide

a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

fossil fuels

What spheres in the Earth's system are involved the carbon cycle?

Biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere

After you remove the water, all life is made up of mostly of carbon. What makes carbon a good atom for building?

Carbon can bond with 4 different atoms at the same time,which helps create unique 3D shapes

decomposers break down organic matter and return carbon to the soil

Decomposition

The exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean

Diffusion

What happens in diffusion during the carbon cycle?

Gases containing carbon move between the ocean and atmosphere

What happens in respiration?

Most organisms get energy by combining O2 from air with food. CO2 is released back into the environment. They breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide

What happens in photosynthesis?

Plants, algae, and some bacteria take in CO2 from the environment and uses it to make food. O2 is released back into the environment

carbon is released from living organisms into the atmosphere

Respiration

What are the processes involved in the carbon cycle?

Respiration, Photosynthesis, Diffusion, Decomposition, and the burning of fossil fuels.

What is carbon used for when it's in the ocean?

Similar to on land, carbon is used for photosynthesis and biomass

Carbon Cycle Steps

1. Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration and combustion. 2. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers to make carbohydrates in photosynthesis. 3. Animals feed on the plant passing the carbon compounds along the food chain. Most of the carbon they consume is exhaled as carbon dioxide formed during respiration. The animals and plants eventually die. 4. The dead organisms are eaten by decomposers and the carbon in their bodies is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. In some conditions decomposition is blocked. The plant and animal material may then be available as fossil fuel in the future for combustion.

Carbon has many benefits in the ecosystem. List 3 helpful ways carbon is used by humans, plants, and other species.

1. Photosynthesis 2. Biomass 3. Fossil Fuels

List two ways carbon gets into our atmosphere (the air).

1. Respiration 2. Combustion

Are respiration and photosynthesis opposite or the same?

Opposite

Based on what you know about carbon trapped underground, why do you think coal, oil, and gas are sometimes referred to as "fossil" fuels?

These fuels are composed of the dead organisms of millions of years ago, making them similar to a fossil in lots of ways.