Carbon cycle

Is the circulation of carbon back and forth between living things and the environment. Carbon is an element, something that cannot be broken down into a simpler substance. Other examples of elements are oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, iron, and hydrogen. Carbon compounds are present in living things like plants and animals and in nonliving things like rocks and soil. Carbon compounds can exist as solids (such as diamonds or coal), liquids (such as crude oil), or gases (such as carbon dioxide). Carbon is often referred to as the "building block of life" because living things are based on carbon and carbon compounds.

Step 1: Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration (breathing) and combustion (burning)

Step 2: Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers to make carbohydrates in photosynthesis. These producers then put off oxygen.


Step 3: Animals feed on the plants. Passing the carbon compounds along the food chain. Most of the carbon these animals consume however is exhaled as carbon dioxide and finally the plants and animals die.

Step 4: The dead organisms are eaten by decomposers in the ground. The carbon that was in their bodies is then returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. 
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