Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle is the natural process that moves carbon between the atmosphere, plants, animals, and the environment.

Carbon is everywhere — in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even the fuel we use.

Plants, or producers, use carbon dioxide from the air to produce glucose and release oxygen into the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

All consumers, including herbivores and carnivores, release carbon dioxide into the air through respiration.

When plants and animals die, decomposers like bacteria break down their remains, releasing carbon into the soil and sometimes into the atmosphere.

Sometimes, dead plants and animals do not fully decompose. Over millions of years, their remains are buried and become fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas.

When humans burn these fossil fuels for energy, they release a large amount of carbon dioxide into the air.

This carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat, causing climate change.

The carbon cycle is one of the Earth's recycling systems, helping to keep carbon moving and life thriving.