Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling

What is a carbon atom?

#6 on the periodic table. It’s symbol is “C”. All living organisms are based on the carbon

atom. Carbon atoms continually move through

living organisms, the oceans, the atmosphere, and the crust of the planet.

What are the basics of the carbon cycle?

Plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to make sugar molecules and oxygen.

Animals take in oxygen and break down sugar molecules releasing energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Simple picture

How do plants do it?

Photosynthesis! The process by which producers use the energy

from sunlight to produce sugar, which consumers convert to "fuel“.

6H2O + 6CO2 ----------> C6H12O6+ 6O2

6 molecules of water + 6 molecules of carbon dioxide = 1 molecule of sugar + 6 molecules of oxygen

What happens when plants can’t absorb all the carbon we produce?

Carbon builds up in our atmosphere and oceans. This may be a cause of Global Warming.

Global Warming (Green house gases)Results (Green house gas results)OCEANS (Bill Nye – the sink effect)

Carbon Cycle Summary

Summarize the Carbon Cycle. Name two things you can do to lower the

amount of Carbon in the atmosphere.

Nitrogen Atoms

All life requires nitrogen. (protein and DNA are just a few uses)

Air is 79% nitrogen gas (N2).

Nitrogen Cycle Movie

Nitrogen Cycling Basics

Most organisms cannot use nitrogen in the form N2 or “Free Nitrogen”.

It must be combined with other molecules or “Fixed”.

This is done by bacteria who live in “nodules” on plant roots. This is an example of mutualism!

Lightning also fixes Nitrogen.

Simple Picture

Remember……

Water, Carbon, and Nitrogen are all necessary to living things.

All three are types of matter. All three are constantly being cycled through

producers, consumers, decomposers, and the environment.