1. Identify how important elements move through an ecosystem
Carbon Cycle
Notes #42
I can:
Identify how important elements move through an ecosystem

2. Elements of Life
Organisms are 95% made up of just four elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen...
The major elements of life must be recycled between ecosystems. Biogeochemical cycles pass the molecules around over and over again.
…but the supply of these elements on Earth is finite.

3. Biogeochemical Cycles
Water Cycle
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorous Cycle

4. The water cycle provides organisms with H and O.
Remember:
CHON building blocks
The Water Cycle
The water cycle provides organisms with H and O.
water vapor
H2O = water

5. The Water Cycle
Evaporation: Evaporation is how liquid water from bodies of water moves back into the atmosphere as water
Transpiration: Transpiration is evaporation from plant leaves.
Condensation: Water vapor cools down to form water droplets in clouds.
Precipitation: Precipitation returns water from the atmosphere to the ground.

6. The carbon cycle provides organisms with C.
Remember:
CHON building blocks
The carbon cycle provides organisms with C.
Carbon Cycle
Carbon (C) is in every living thing on Earth

7. Carbon: The Building Block of Life How do we get it into this form?
Carbon can be in two different forms:
in the atmosphere (sky), carbon is found in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2)
inside living organisms, carbon is sugar or glucose (C6H12O6)
How do we get it into this form?
Not usable by animals!

8. Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are opposite processes that keep the amount of carbon in the air in check.

9. photo = having to do with light
Photosynthesis
What words do you see in this term that might give you a clue as to what it means?
photo = having to do with light
synthesis = combining to make something else
Photosynthesis is how carbon is stored in plants as sugar.

10. glucose is used by animals as FOOD!
Photosynthesis
carbon glucose dioxide (C6H12O6) (CO2)
glucose is used by animals as FOOD!
reactant is used up (input) product is produced (output)

11. Photosynthesis

12. Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration is how carbon is released back into the atmosphere as CO2.

13. glucose carbon (C6H12O6) dioxide (CO2)
Cellular Respiration
glucose carbon (C6H12O6) dioxide (CO2)
reactant is used up (input) product is produced (output)

14. Photosynthesis or Respiration?
Making sugar
Making CO2
Using sugar
Using CO2
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Respiration
Photosynthesis

15. Sugar or Carbon Dioxide?
Product of PS
Product of CR
Reactant of PS
Reactant of CR
Sugar
CO2
CO2
Sugar

16. carbon sugar dioxide (glucose) (CO2)
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is how carbon moves around an ecosystem.
In cycles, nothing is created or destroyed, only CHANGED.
carbon sugar dioxide (glucose) (CO2)

17. Carbon Cycle
carbon is ADDED to the atmosphere by respiration
carbon is ADDED to the environment by decomposition, the breakdown of dead matter
the carbon from dead animals turns into fossil fuels

18. Carbon can also be added to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels
Carbon Cycle
Carbon can also be added to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2

19. The nitrogen cycle provides organisms with N.
Remember:
CHON building blocks
The nitrogen cycle provides organisms with N.
Nitrogen is an important part of proteins and DNA.
The air on Earth is made up of 78% nitrogen (N2)…but none of it is usable by plants!
The process that turns N2 into a usable form of nitrogen able to be taken up by plants.

20. Nitrogen Cycle
The overuse of plant fertilizers has put a lot of nitrogen into the environment where it doesn’t belong.
excess nitrogen in oceans leads to the formation of DEAD ZONES