Nitrogen & Carbon Cycle Flashcards
What is recycled in the living world?
Materials like nitrogen and carbon are recycled and used as building blocks for other organisms.
How is nitrogen transferred through the ecosystem?
Plants take in nitrogen - animals eat plants and when animals die nitrogen is returned to the soil for other plants.
What is the carbon cycle?
The movement of carbon through an ecosystem.
How is carbon added to the atmosphere?
Through respiration of living organisms and combustion of fossil fuels.
How is carbon removed from the atmosphere?
Through photosynthesis in plants.
How do animals incorporate carbon?
By eating plants and incorporating carbon into their biological molecules like carbohydrates proteins and lipids.
How is carbon released into the atmosphere after decomposition?
Through the respiration of decomposers like bacteria and fungi.
What happens to carbon in dead material?
It can eventually form fossil fuels after millions of years of compression.
How do plants absorb nitrogen?
Plants absorb nitrogen in the form of nitrates which are converted by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Where do nitrogen-fixing bacteria live?
They either live freely in the soil or inside root nodules forming a symbiotic relationship with plants.
What is the Haber process used for?
The Haber process converts nitrogen into ammonia which is used in fertilizers.
How do nitrifying bacteria help plants?
Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia into nitrates which plants can absorb and use to build proteins.
How is nitrogen returned to the soil?
Nitrogen is returned to the soil by the decomposition of dead matter by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.
What is urea and how is it produced?
Urea is produced from the breakdown of proteins in the body and is removed in urine.
What do denitrifying bacteria do?
Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates in the soil back into nitrogen gas especially in waterlogged, low-oxygen soil.
How can soil be made more fertile?
Improving drainage can make soil more fertile by preventing the loss of nitrates through denitrification.
