Name: carbon movement in living systems
Uploaded: 2019-03-11T09:21:40.000Z
Duration: 1 min 14 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

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North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Biology

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems- Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS.Bio.4.1

The Carbon Cycle

In the carbon cycle, carbon atoms travel throughout the ecosystem.

Starting with photosynthesis, autotrophs, such as plants, transform carbon from the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide into consumable energy that is ingested by heterotrophs. These organisms can then return the carbon into the atmosphere through respiration or into the soil during decomposition.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is also highly soluble in water so the oceans constitute a major reservoir of carbon.

Carbon dioxide reacts with water to form carbonic acid and then carbonate ions. Calcium carbonate in ocean water is used to build coral skeletons and mollusc shells. Carbon can also be stored for short terms in the bodies of long-lived trees and in the soil or, for a much longer time in the case of fossil fuels, the organic remains of once living organisms.

Finally, carbon stored in sediments and soils of the earth&#39;s crust can be melted into magma and vented into the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions, a process called degassing.

the carbon cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.

<h4>Biological Carbon Cycle</h4>

All living things are composed of organic molecules that contain atoms of the element carbon. Carbon exists in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas, which reacts with water to form bicarbonate. During photosynthesis, primary producers (or autotrophs) convert carbon dioxide and bicarbonate into organic carbon-containing compounds, such as glucose, to provide energy for growth, maintenance and other processes.

Heterotrophs receive organic carbon for growth and maintenance by consuming autotrophs. Through the process of cellular respiration, these organic molecules are broken down to release the energy stored within them. The byproducts of this process are water and carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere through respiration, continuing the cycle.

Carbon can also return to the environment as animal waste or as decaying material from dead organisms. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break these materials down into carbon dioxide and organic compounds.

<h4>Long-Term Geological Cycling</h4>

Carbon is stored for prolonged periods of time in the atmosphere, large water bodies, ocean sediment, soil, fossilized animal remains, and the inside of the Earth. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere becomes dissolved in the ocean&rsquo;s water, reacts with water molecules and is converted into carbonates. Combined with calcium ions, these carbonates make up the calcium carbonate shells of many marine organisms, such as coral and oysters. When these organisms die, their remains are broken down and may sink to the ocean floor and gradually become part of the sediment. This sediment eventually forms limestone, which constitutes the largest carbon reservoir on Earth.

Large, long-lived trees can also store carbon in their bodies for centuries. As a much longer-term sink (carbon reservoir), the remains of organisms store carbon in the form of fossil fuels&mdash;like coal, petroleum and natural gas&mdash;deep in the earth over millions of years. Carbon stored deep under the Earth&rsquo;s surface can return to the surface and the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions.

<h4>Human Impacts on the Carbon Cycle</h4>

The burning of fossil fuels and wood is releasing substantial amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, altering the global climate. Additionally, deforestation and increased agricultural practices are affecting the natural carbon cycle by reducing the amount of organic matter in the soil, decreasing carbon storage, and increasing levels of greenhouse gases, like methane, in the atmosphere.

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among ...

Education

JoVE Core

Ecology

Ecosystems

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

carbon movement in living systems

Carbon moves through living systems and Earth over short and long time scales. It is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and it cycles through ecosystems by passing between organisms and by moving through rocks, oceans, and the atmosphere. Human activities, including farming and burning fossil fuels, have changed this balance.

In the biological carbon cycle, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reacts with water to form bicarbonate. Primary producers, or autotrophs, use carbon dioxide and bicarbonate during photosynthesis to make organic compounds such as glucose. These carbon-containing molecules support growth, maintenance, and other life processes.

Heterotrophs get organic carbon by eating autotrophs. They break down these molecules during cellular respiration to release stored energy. Water and carbon dioxide are the main byproducts, and the carbon returns to the atmosphere through respiration. Carbon can also leave organisms as waste or as dead matter. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break this material down and release carbon dioxide and organic compounds back into the environment.

Carbon also moves through long-term geological storage. It can remain in the atmosphere, large water bodies, ocean sediment, soil, fossilized animal remains, and deep inside the Earth for long periods. In the ocean, dissolved carbon dioxide reacts with water and becomes carbonates. These carbonates combine with calcium ions to form calcium carbonate shells in marine organisms such as coral and oysters. When these organisms die, their remains can sink and become part of sediment, which may later form limestone, the largest carbon reservoir on Earth.

Large, long-lived trees can store carbon in their bodies for centuries. On much longer time scales, the remains of organisms become fossil fuels, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas, deep in the Earth. Carbon stored underground can return to the surface and atmosphere during volcanic eruptions. Burning fossil fuels and wood releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which affects global climate. Deforestation and increased agricultural practices also change the natural carbon cycle by reducing soil organic matter, lowering carbon storage, and raising greenhouse gases such as methane.

Carbon Movement in Living Systems

what is an ecosystem?

Ecosystem Zones and Climate

Ecosystems are shaped by living and nonliving parts of an environment, and they can be grouped as terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems depend on climate. Aquatic ecosystems are divided into freshwater and marine systems, and depth affects water temperature and how much sunlight reaches the water. Terrestrial ecosystems are called biomes. A biome is defined by climate and by the organisms that live there. Near the equator, rainforests have high, aseasonal temperatures and high annual...

trophic levels

Food Chains and Energy Flow

Food chains show how energy and nutrients move through an ecosystem. Each organism holds a trophic level, or a specific place in that chain. The lowest level includes primary producers, which make their own food using energy from the sun or from chemicals. Organisms at the next levels are heterotrophs, which get energy from other organisms below them. Primary consumers are herbivores, and they feed on autotrophs, also called primary producers. Secondary and tertiary consumers are carnivores...

primary production

GPP, NPP, and Ecosystem Energy

Gross primary production and net primary production describe how energy enters and moves through ecosystems. Primary producers, or autotrophs, make their own food. They can do this by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, and they can also gain energy by consuming other organisms. The rate at which producers capture and store this energy is called gross primary production, or GPP. Not all of the energy in GPP stays available to the rest of the ecosystem. Primary producers use some energy for...

production efficiency

Energy Transfer as Biomass Efficiency

Net production efficiency shows how much energy organisms turn into biomass for the next trophic level. It focuses on the usable energy stored in body tissue, not the energy lost as heat or excreted wastes. This makes it a key idea for understanding energy flow through ecosystems. As energy moves from one organism to the next, only biomass can serve as food for the next trophic level. The rest of the energy is used in metabolism and is lost over time. Net production efficiency, or NPE, is the...

trophic efficiency

Energy Loss in Food Chains

Trophic level transfer efficiency describes how much energy moves from one level of a food chain to the next. It shows why energy drops sharply as organisms eat and are eaten. In most ecosystems, only about 10% of the energy passes on. This energy loss follows the second law of thermodynamics. In living systems, much of the energy is lost as metabolic heat during respiration. Trophic level transfer efficiency, or TLTE, measures this transfer by comparing the energy produced at one trophic...

what are biogeochemical cycles?

Nutrient Recycling in Ecosystems

Nutrient recycling in ecosystems keeps the elements needed for life moving through living and nonliving parts of the environment. Elements such as water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus are present in limited amounts, so they must be conserved and reused. These movements are called biogeochemical cycles. These nutrients can exist in several chemical forms. They may spend long periods in the atmosphere, on land, under the land, or in aquatic environments. Decomposition is a key part of...

the water cycle

Water Movement Through Earth Systems

Water movement through Earth systems connects the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the land, and living things. The hydrosphere includes every place where water is stored or moves. Because water supports living processes, its movement is important for ecosystem dynamics. The cycle starts when the sun warms surface water on land and in the oceans. That water evaporates and enters the atmosphere as vapor. Water can also move into the air by sublimation, which is ice changing directly into vapor, and...

Carbon moves through living systems and Earth over short and long time scales. It is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and it cycles through ecosystems by passing between organisms and by moving through rocks, oceans, and the atmosphere. Human activities, including farming and burning fossil fuels, have changed this balance. In the biological carbon cycle, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reacts with water to form bicarbonate. Primary producers, or autotrophs, use carbon dioxide and...

the nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen in Soil and Living Things

Nitrogen in soil and living things moves through ecosystems in several forms. Nitrogen atoms are found in proteins and DNA. Most animals and plants cannot use nitrogen gas, which is the main form of nitrogen on Earth. Nitrogen must first be changed into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can move through food webs. About 78% of the air we breathe is nitrogen gas, but few organisms can use it in that form. Nitrogen fixation changes nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3).

the phosphorus cycle

Phosphorus Movement in Soil and Water

Phosphorus moves through ecosystems mostly as phosphate ions in soil, water, sediment, and rocks. Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, it is not found in the atmosphere as a gas. It is also often a limiting nutrient, which means it is in short supply in many environments. Phosphorus is important in DNA, cell membranes, bones, and teeth. It is found in minerals, sediment, volcanic ash, and aerosols. As rocks and sediment weather over time, they release inorganic phosphate. That phosphate then...

the sulfur cycle

Sulfur in Ecosystems and Acid Rain

Sulfur moves through ecosystems as part of the chemical cycle that supports life. It is an important element in proteins and in amino acids such as cysteine, which helps give proteins their structure. On land, sulfur reaches ecosystems in several ways. Weak sulfuric acid can fall with precipitation, sulfur can drop directly from the atmosphere, rocks can weather and release sulfur, and geothermal vents can add it as well. Plants and microorganisms take sulfur up from the soil and change it...

bioremediation

Bioremediation in Soil and Oil Cleanup

Bioremediation uses prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. It is a practical way to reduce harmful chemicals in contaminated soil and water. In agriculture, fertilizers and pesticides can leach into groundwater, streams, and lakes. Microbes and bacteria can help break down these toxins. One example is atrazine, an environmental toxin found in many fertilizers, which can be removed from soils by the bacterial species Rhizobium and Tricoderma sp. Bioremediation...

key terms and concepts

Explore how carbon moves through photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, oceans, rocks, and fossil fuels, and how human activity disrupts the cycle.

Carbon Movement in Living Systems | JoVE K12

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What are Biogeochemical Cycles?

The most common elements in organic molecules, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, are only available in the ecosystem in limited ...

The Water Cycle

The Earth&rsquo;s hydrosphere includes all of the areas where the storage and movement of water occurs. Since water is the basis of all living processes, ...

The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of ...

Use models to illustrate how processes in organisms contribute to the flow of energy and the cycling of matter within an ecosystem.

Analyze the relationships between matter and energy within ecosystems.

Carbon Movement in Living Systems

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