Oxygen Cycle
What process do plants use to produce oxygen?
Photosynthesis
What process removes CO2 from the atmosphere?
Photosynthesis
What gas makes up most of the Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What process do animals and humans use that consumes oxygen?
Cellular respiration
What role does the sun play in the carbon cycle?
It provides energy for photosynthesis, which drives the cycle
What organisms fix atmospheric nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
What are two main sources of atmospheric oxygen?
Photosynthesis and the breakdown of water molecules
Name a carbon reservoir
Atmosphere, oceans, fossil fuels, soil, or living organisms
What is the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle?
They break down dead organisms, returning nitrogen to the soil
How is oxygen cycled back into the atmosphere by animals?
Through exhalation during cellular respiration
Name a carbon form found in animals
Glucose, fats, proteins, DNA (all carbon-based compounds)
What is nitrification?
The process of converting ammonia into nitrates and nitrates.
Why is the oxygen cycle essential for life?
It provides the oxygen organisms need for cellular respiration, which produces energy.
How is carbon returned to the atmosphere?
Respiration, combustion, and decomposition
Wow has the Habor-Bosch process affected the nitrogen cycle?
It artificially fixes nitrogen to make fertilizers, increasing nitrogen in ecosystems