Metabolism involves either using energy to build organic molecules or breaking down organic molecules in which energy is stored. Organic molecules contain carbon. Therefore,
an organism's metabolism is part of Earth's carbon cycle
.
How are the processes of photosynthesis and decomposition involved in the carbon cycle?
| Process Carbon starts as Carbon ends as | Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion (burning) | Carbon dioxide Glucose Fuel (eg methane or wood) |
|---|
How does the carbon cycle relate to cellular respiration?
Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are important parts of the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is the pathways through which carbon is recycled in the biosphere. While
cellular respiration releases carbon dioxide into the environment, photosynthesis pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Which group of organisms in the carbon cycle converts carbon into a form that is available to primary consumers?
The producers
, i.e the green plants converts carbon into a form that is available to primary consumers.
How does most of the carbon in an organism's body return to the environment after the organism dies?
Most of the carbon they consume is exhaled as carbon dioxide that was formed during aerobic respiration. The animals and plants eventually die. Decomposers break down the dead organisms and return the carbon in their bodies to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
by respiration
.
What process carried out by microorganisms in the carbon cycle releases carbon dioxide?
Respiration
– when living organisms (plants, animals and decomposers) respire they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (this is a form of excretion ).
What processes take place in the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis, Decomposition, Respiration and Combustion
. Carbon cycles from the atmosphere into plants and living things.
What happens to carbon dioxide during the carbon cycle?
Through the process of photosynthesis,
carbon dioxide is pulled from the air to produce food made from carbon for plant growth
. Carbon moves from plants to animals. Through food chains, the carbon that is in plants moves to the animals that eat them.
Which organism play a role in returning carbon to the atmosphere?
This process uses energy captured from electrons flowing to oxygen to produce most of the ATPs in cellular respiration. Which organisms play a role in returning carbon to the atmosphere?
Producers, consumers, and decomposers
.
How is a model of the carbon cycle different from the actual cycling of carbon in an ecosystem?
Answer. Answer:
The biological carbon cycle is not only faster than the geological carbon cycle
. The amount of carbon taken up by photosynthesis and released back to the atmosphere by respiration each year is 1,000 times greater than the amount of carbon that moves through the geological cycle on an annual basis.
What is the source of carbon to plants in the carbon cycle?
The source of the carbon found in living matter is
carbon dioxide (CO
2
) in the air or dissolved in water
. Algae and terrestrial green plants (producers) are the chief agents of carbon dioxide fixation through the process of photosynthesis, through which carbon dioxide and water are converted into simple carbohydrates.
How is carbon transferred from producers to consumers?
Consumers get carbon
when they eat the producers
. Carbon is released back into the atmosphere when consumers break down the food molecules during cellular respiration and carbon is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Photosynthetic organisms release carbon dioxide during cellular respiration.
What role do plants play in the carbon cycle?
Green plants play a very important role in the carbon cycle. They
absorb carbon dioxide (CO
2
) from the atmosphere and produce carbon-containing sugars
. This process is called photosynthesis.
How do animals add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
During the carbon cycle, animals and plants add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere through
cellular respiration
, and plants remove carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The burning of fossil fuels releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
How are the carbon and nitrogen cycles connected?
Carbon makes its way through living things as carbon-based compounds, like energy molecules, fats and proteins, eventually cycling its way back into the atmosphere
. Nitrogen is mainly found in the atmosphere as well and enters the ecosystems as nutrients for plants.
What are the two main processes in the carbon cycle?
In the natural carbon cycle, there are two main processes which occur:
photosynthesis and metabolism
.
Why are microorganisms included in the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle in microorganisms is part of a larger cycling of carbon that occurs on the global scale. The actions of microorganisms
help extract carbon from non-living sources and make the carbon available to living organisms
(including themselves).
Why are microorganisms such as fungi bacteria and archaea so important to the carbon cycle?
Why are microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and archaeons so important to the carbon cycle?
Many of these microorganisms generate carbon dioxide, making it available for primary producers
.
How does carbon get into microbes?
Carbon is transferred from the atmosphere to soil
via ‘carbon-fixing' autotrophic organisms, mainly photosynthesising plants and also photo- and chemoautotrophic microbes
,
3 , 4
that synthesise atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO
2
) into organic material (Fig. 1).
The carbon cycle plays a key role in regulating Earth's global temperature and climate by
controlling the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
. The greenhouse effect itself is a naturally occurring phenomenon that makes Earth warm enough for life to exist.
What molecules are involved in the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle is based on
carbon dioxide (CO
2
)
, which can be found in air in the gaseous form, and in water in dissolved form. Terrestrial plants use atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, to generate oxygen that sustains animal life.
What process of the carbon cycle is likely causing the increase in carbon dioxide levels?
As of 2008, deforestation accounted for about 12 percent of all human carbon dioxide emissions. The biggest changes in the land carbon cycle are likely to come because of
climate change
. Carbon dioxide increases temperatures, extending the growing season and increasing humidity.
