Carbon And Nitrogen Cycles Flashcards
What do nitrifying bacteria do
They oxidate ammonia and turn it into nitrates in the soil
What to denitrifying bacteria do
Break down nitrates in the soil into nitrogen in the air
What do nitrogen fixing bacteria do?
Turn nitrogen in the air into nitrates into the soil and into plants
How does nitrogen fixing happen
Lightning - makes nitrogen react with oxygen in air
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
What do the plants do with the nitrates?
Plants absorb nitrates from the soil and use them to make proteins for growth
What removes CO2 from the atmosphere
Plants through photosynthesis
What happens when animals eat plants
Passes the carbon compounds in the plant to animals
What puts CO2 back into the atmosphere?
Plant and animal respiration
Plant and animal decay by decomposers
Fossil fuels being burned
What happens when plants and animals decay?
They are broken down by bacteria and fungi which release CO2
What do decomposers do
They turn proteins and urea into ammonia