Nutrient Cycle

nutrient cycle

What is Nutrient Cycle?

               As unloosen energy menstruum is unidirectional, it is constantly supplied yesteryear the Sun from exterior the ecosystem. Inorganic nutrients ask non live supplied from exterior because they tin live recycled inside the ecosystem.

               Carbon, oxygen, nitrogen together with H2O are the primary nutrient necessary for the maintenance of life. The cycling of these nutrients is brought most yesteryear physical, chemic together with biological processes. The nutrient cycles are delicately balanced inward nature simply are upset yesteryear human activities causing many biological problems. These cycles are too called biochemical cycles.

CARBON CYCLE

Carbon cycle is defined every bit the procedure which brings most the circulation of carbon works life inward the organic molecules of living things. This carbon is derived from co₂ inward air or the bicarbonate ions dissolved inward water.

Carbon is works life inward the abiotic environment

·         In the remains of living organism

·         As fossil fuels such every bit coal, coke together with natural gas

·         As inward organic salts such every bit carbonates, chalk, marble together with corals

·         In H2O bodies

·         As the gas co₂ which makes upward 0.03% of air

Carbon is thus continually beingness removed together with added dorsum to the co₂ inward atmosphere.

PROCESSES

1.      Photosynthesis

2.      Respiration

3.      Decomposition

4.      Combustion

5.      Volcanic eruption/weathering

6.      Fossilization

Photosynthesis: By agency of photosynthesis, greenish plants extract co₂ from the atmosphere, incorporates it into carbohydrate together with other complex organic compounds which brand upward the works life tissue.

During feeding, the plants are eaten yesteryear animals which convert them to animate beingness tissues.

Respiration: Animals during external respiration release CO₂ into the air, plants too release CO₂ during aerobic respiration yesteryear certainly plants.

Combustion: During burning of plants together with animals, the CO₂ is released dorsum into the air.

Decomposition: When plants together with animals die, decomposers intermission the remains together with release the carbon from the complex carbon molecules into the atmosphere.

Volcanic Eruption: When volcanoes erupt, hole-and-corner deposit of fossils that receive got carbon locked upward inward organic compounds are brought to the surface together with released into the atmosphere every bit gaseous products.

                                    IMPORTANCE OF CARBON CYCLE

1.      The carbon compounds are the vehicles through which unloosen energy menstruum inside the ecosystem.

2.      Carbon is of import because it is the primary chemical cistron that makes upward complex organic compounds which are rich inward unloosen energy that was originally obtained from the Sun through photosynthesis.

       Photosynthesis, respiration together with decay are of import processes inward the lives of organisms ensuring that carbon is recycled.

       Carbon dioxide plays of import component inward the rule of the temperature of the surface of the globe gets to the atmosphere. It is absorbed yesteryear carbon dioxide together with it radiated dorsum to the earth, thus warming the earth. This is the “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”.

       Carbon cycle is the contrary oxygen cycle. Thus, acre photosynthesis scope out O₂ to the environment, photosynthesis take away CO₂ from the environment.

                                                            CO₂ IN AIR

                                                          RESPIRATION                                                   COMBUSTION

                                                        DECOMPOSERS                                      DECOMPOSITION

                                                FEEDING BY SAPROPHYTE                 RESPIRATION   WOOD COAL                                                           

       PHOTOSYNTHESIS                           HUMUS                                                   FOSSILIZATION                      

VOLCANIC ERUPTION                        DEATH AND DECAY     

                                                      GREEN PLANTS   _FEEDING    ANIMALS

                       

                                                               CARBON CYCLE      

                                     Step 2: OXYGEN AND WATER CYCLE:

Oxygen cycle is the pathway through which oxygen circulates inward nature. Water cycle is the pathway through which H2O circulates inward nature. The unloosen energy required to drive this cycles is from the sun.processes that brand oxygen together with H2O available are shown below

                                   

Now practise the following. Deduce from the pictures of H2O together with oxygen cycles the major half dozen processes involved inward the circulation of the two.

         Water                                                            oxygen

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

IMPORTANCE OF WATER CYCLE

Water constitute most 90% of the protoplasm of living things

50% of blood is H2O together with 90% of plasma is water

Water is essential for digestion of food

It is of import inward the excretion of waste

Water serves every bit a universal solvent

Mineral salts inward H2O are useful for growth

Without H2O metabolic reactions volition non receive got place

Hormones together with enzymes ask H2O to circulate.

          CONSTRUCT oxygen together with carbon cycles below using 2 colors of ink to differentiate them

Prep questions: 1. Describe the carbon cycle. 2. State 5 importance of H2O cycle inward nature

3 . what iii ecological problems volition live observed if the carbon cycle is disrupted

Home work: define together with verbalise over the importance of decomposition inward nature