The carbon cycle SB9 Flashcards
what type of organism plays a key role in the carbon cycle?
fungus
how does carbon dioxide enter a plant?
diffuses into plant leaves
how does a plant turn carbon dioxide into glucose?
photosynthesis occurs so CO2 becomes part of another carbon compound - glucose
how does a plant turn glucose into carbon dioxide again?
if glucose is used for respiration, the carbon atom will become part of C02 again and be released into the atomosphere
besides turning glucose into CO2, how else can glucose be used?
change into other carbon compounds and used to make plant biomass
what compounds in plants contain carbon atoms?
carbohydrates, fats and proteins
how are carbon atoms used within an animal after eating a plant?
some are digested and taken into the body, the rest leave the body as faeces
what are the absorbed carbon compounds used for in an animal’s body?
respiration, waste products (urine) and builing complex compounds inthe animal’s tissue - making animal biomass
what happens to plants/animals when they are not eaten and die?
bodies are broken down by decay
how is decay caused?
by microorganisms called decomposers
what are 2 types of decomposer?
fungi and bacteria
besides decaying bodies, what else is decay used for?
breaking down carbon compound in animal waste
how do decomposers work?
they use some of the carbon compounds they absorb to respire and make more complex compounds in their cells
what happens when large amounts of dead organisms die so quick they cannot be decayed?
over millions of years they will change into peat or coal by heat + pressure of earth
what are coal, peat and natural gas types of? why?
fossil fuels - they contain carbon compounds that were in living organisms millions of years ago
