Water and carbon cycles vital for life. Flashcards
Why are the carbon and water cycles so important for life?
All living things contain carbon. And all living things require water for survival.
Why are these cycles important for plants and subsequently all life?
Plants form the base of most food chains - when photosynthesis occurs they use energy from sunlight and convert to convert CO2 and water into biomass which is passed up the food chain, the photosynthesis requires water and carbon and is what effectively allows all living species to live.
Why does water and carbon in the atmosphere make life possible on earth?
The water vapour and carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere cause the natural greenhouse effect which prevents some of the suns energy from leaving the earth into space, by reflecting the energy via the ozone layer, causing the earths temperatures to be more or less perfect for life.
