Cycles of Matter

Cycles of Matter: Why? Because we have a fixed amount of STUFF (matter) on this planet, and no new stuff is being added from the universe Because we have a fixed amount of STUFF (matter) on this planet, and no new stuff is being added from the universe It must be cycled around and around. It must be cycled around and around.

Nitrogen Cycle – Why do we need nitrogen? In proteins (the building blocks of cells) In DNA No nitrogen? No proteins No cells No life

Nitrogen Cycle ~79% of air is made up of nitrogen We can’t use this form Must be “fixed” into solid form

Nitrogen Cycle The process of converting nitrogen from the gaseous form, N 2, into a solid form that’s usable for our bodies is called NITROGEN FIXATION

Nitrogen Fixation It takes a lot of energy to change nitrogen from its very stable form in the air, N 2 to a form organisms can use. There are 3 ways nitrogen can be fixed: 1.Nitrogen fixing bacteria 2.Lightning 3.factories

Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen cycle web site nitrogen cycle animation

Nitrogen fixation - bacteria 1.Nitrogen, N 2, diffuses into soil from the air 2.Special species of bacteria in the ground fix the nitrogen into ammonia (NH 3 ) and other nitrogen compounds plants can use Two types of nitrogen-fixing bacteria Two types of nitrogen-fixing bacteria 1.free living bacteria 2.Bacteria that live in nodules of certain plants’ roots in a ______________ relationship Symbiotic mutualism Symbiotic mutualism

Nitrogen fixation - bacteria Plants that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules: Alfalfa, legumes, clover & soy Farmers sometimes rotate these crops in just to add more nitrogen to their soil

Nitrogen Fixation - lightning 1.Only a very small % of N gets fixed this way 2.The high energy from lightning breaks some nitrogen molecules apart, allowing them to bond with oxygen in the air. This makes nitrates (NO 3 - ) 3.(N 2 + 3O 2  2NO 3 - ) 4.rain carries these new compounds down to the soil where they can be taken up by plant roots.

Nitrogen Fixation - factories Humans have learned how to take gaseous nitrogen, N 2, and fix it into compounds to make fertilizer This takes huge amounts of energy fertilizer/

Nitrogen Cycle - Usage Once the nitrogen is fixed in one of the three ways, it can be used by plants

Nitrogen Cycle - Usage Finally, heterotrophs get the nitrogen by eating the plants or other animals that ate the plants.

Nitrogen Cycle – Back to Air When organisms die, decomposers get the last of their stored energy, and return their elements back to the soil. Denitrification: Denitrification: Some decomposing archaea break down the nitrogen compounds and release them back to their gaseous form, N 2.

Nitrogen Cycle

Phosphorus Cycle A phosphate mine in Utah, one of four U.S. states to produce the mineral resource. Credit: ©Jason Parker-Burlingham, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Phosphorus in the Animal Kingdom Required in every cell in the human body Most phosphorus is in the form of phosphate PO 4 85% of the phosphorus in the body is in bone in the form of Calcium Phosphate Cell membranes have the phospholipid bi-layer The backbones of DNA and RNA are made up of sugars and phosphates /lipidbilayer.gif _nucleotide.jpg

Remember All living things are made up of cells (The Cell Theory) DNA is found in all cells as the genetic material ATP has three phosphate groups and powers cells No phosphate? No DNA, no power. _files/image002.gif

Phosphorus Cycle Phosphorus is unique in that it does not enter the atmosphere, whereas carbon, nitrogen and oxygen do cycle through the atmosphere in the gaseous state. PhosphorusCycle-L.gif/ / PhosphorusCycle-L.gif

Phosphorus Cycle SHORT PART OF CYCLE 1)Phosphate is often mined from sedimentary rock or collected from guano 2)It is added to crops as a fertilizer or added to animal feed as a supplement 3)Once in the producers, phosphate cycles through the food web.

Phosphorus Cycle LONG CYCLE 4.Over time, phosphorus can be washed into waterways, and take many years to again be turned into sedimentary rock. 5.It then can be eroded back into soil for plants to use.

Click Click Reminder of the Carbon Cycle

Information sources for phosphate information: phosphorus/