Carbon cycle
Section: Biology | Syllabus: Cambridge IGCSE Combined Science (0653)
The Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle can be described in terms of:
- Photosynthesis - carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and fixed into organic molecules in plants
- Feeding - carbon compounds pass from plants to animals along food chains
- Respiration - carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere by all living organisms
- Decomposition - decomposers break down dead organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide through their own respiration
- Formation of fossil fuels - over millions of years, the remains of dead organisms can form coal, oil and gas, storing carbon long-term
- Combustion - burning fossil fuels (and wood) releases the stored carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
Carbon cycles between the atmosphere and living organisms through photosynthesis, feeding, respiration, decomposition and combustion
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