5-2 The Cycling of Matter

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A. The Carbon Cycle

• 1. The carbon cycle is the process in which carbon is recycled between the water, land, air and organisms.

A. The Carbon Cycle• 2. Plants convert the carbon in carbon dioxide

to sugars through photosynthesis.

A. The Carbon Cycle

• 3. When consumers eat producers, they obtain the carbon through the carbohydrates (sugars).

A. The Carbon Cycle• 4. Consumers break down carbohydrates

(sugars) through cellular respiration and release it as carbon dioxide gas.

Think about it!

• How do humans affect the carbon cycle?• Is this impact positive or negative on the

environment?

A. The Carbon Cycle

• 5. How do humans affect the carbon cycle?• Burning of fossil fuels releases CO2

• Increased CO2 (greenhouse gas) contributes to climate change, warming the atmosphere

• Oceans absorb dissolved carbon which lower the pH, making oceans more acidic

Video

B. The Nitrogen Cycle

• 1. Nitrogen is needed to build new proteins.

B. The Nitrogen Cycle

• 2. Nitrogen needs to be converted to a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

B. The Nitrogen Cycle

• 3. The Nitrogen cycle recycles Nitrogen through the atmosphere, soil, and organisms.

Animation

B. The Nitrogen Cycle

• 4. Decomposers are an essential part of the nitrogen cycle because they release nitrogen from wastes (urine, dung, decaying leaves, etc.)

C. The Phosphorous Cycle

• 1. Phosphorous is an important element that makes up parts of cells such as bones and teeth.

C. The Phosphorous Cycle

• 2. Plants get Phosphorous from soil/water, animals eat plants or other animals to get phosphorous.

C. The Phosphorous Cycle

• 3. The phosphorous cycle is the movement of phosphorus from the environment, to organisms, and back to the environment (not atmosphere because it rarely occurs as a gas).

C. The Phosphorous Cycle

• 4. Phosphorous may enter soil/water by– Weathering of rocks– Waste from organisms– Decomposing organisms

Carbon

• Fact 1• Fact 2

Nitrogen

• Fact 1• Fact 2

Phosphorous

• Fact 1• Fact 2