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CARBON CYCLE

CARBON CYCLE


  • Carbon is called as the “chemical building block of life” because living organisms are made up of it.
  • Carbon cycle is the process where Carbon compounds are interchanged among the Biosphere, Geosphere, Pedosphere, Hydrosphere, and Atmosphere of the earth.

STEPS INVOLVED IN CARBON CYCLE

Carbon cycle

  • In general, Carbon cycle has four steps. They are
  1. Photosynthesis
  2. Decomposition
  3. Respiration
  4. Combustion

1) Photosynthesis

  • Carbon present in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants for Photosynthesis.
  • Plants pull in Carbon-di-oxide out of the air through photosynthesis.
  • Even though, Carbon-di-oxide makes up less than 1 % of the atmosphere, it plays a major role for living things.
  • With CO2 and H2O in the atmosphere, photosynthesis produces sugars like Glucose. This is the plant material that plants synthesize on its own. 

2) Decomposition

  • Plants are then consumed by animals, and carbon gets bioaccumulated into their bodies.
  • Decomposition is the process of breaking down plants and animals. Over vast periods of time, layers of sediment build on each other. Because of the pressure and heat from within the Earth’s crust, this generates fossil fuels.
  • Anaerobic decomposition involves bacteria breaking down Organic matter such as Glucose into CO2 and Methane (CH4).
  • The nutrient cycle recycles Inorganic and Organic material in soil through the process of Decomposition. Then, it goes back again through the same process again.

3) Respiration

  • Human body also made of Carbon because human consume plants as their major food.
  • Animals rely on plants for food, energy and oxygen. Our cells require Oxygen to break down the food we consume through Cellular respiration.
  • Once consumed, Carbon-di-oxide is released into the atmosphere because of Cellular respiration. In turn, this CO2 produced from respiring cells can be used in Photosynthesis again. 

4) Combustion

  • Automobiles use Carbon in the form of Fossil fuel and Carbon is also a pollutant as Carbon-di-oxide.
  • The Fossil fuels are then used for man-made activities, which pumps more Carbon back into the atmosphere.
  • Carbon dioxide is one of the Greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

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