The Carbon Cycle Flashcards
What is the Carbon Cycle?
The constant cycling of carbon in the environment.
What materials do living things take from their environment?
Materials like carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.
What do microorganisms do in the carbon cycle?
They break down materials, returning nutrients to the environment.
How do plants contribute to the carbon cycle?
Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
What is produced by plants during photosynthesis?
Glucose, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
What happens to carbon when plants and algae are eaten by animals?
Carbon becomes part of the fats and proteins in their bodies.
What is released back into the atmosphere when animals respire?
CO2.
What role do detritus feeders and microorganisms play after organisms die?
They feed on remains and return CO2 to the atmosphere.
What is the effect of burning fossil fuels on the carbon cycle?
It releases CO2 back into the atmosphere.
Fill in the blank: Carbon is very important for living things — it’s the basis for all the _______.
organic molecules.
What is biodiversity?
The variety of different species in an ecosystem.
What does high biodiversity indicate?
A healthy ecosystem with many different species.
How does human activity affect biodiversity?
It decreases biodiversity through pollution, habitat destruction, and resource depletion.
Fill in the blank: Our increasing use of _______ contributes to the decline of biodiversity.
plastics.
What is the impact of sewage on biodiversity?
It can pollute water and land, harming ecosystems.
