THE OXYGEN CYCLE

Oxygen is an important constituent of the planet Earth, whereby without it most of the
biosphere cannot survive. Oxygen being a vital aspect to life, it cycles through three major
reservoirs of the earth, the atmosphere (air), the biosphere (living things) and the lithosphere
(earth-crust). The cycle whereby matter is continuously cycled through the earth system, the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and lithosphere over a time span is called the
biogeochemical cycle. The biogeochemical cycle of oxygen is called the oxygen cycle.
The atmosphere is one of oxygen reservoirs found on earth. Atmospheric oxygen is mostly
bound to organic substances e.g. atmospheric water and nitrogen oxide. Oxygen is freed from
these oxygen bearing molecules by photolysis. Photolysis is when high energy sunlight
breaks apart the oxygen bearing molecules to produce free oxygen. The free oxygen under
ultra-violet (UV) energy from sunlight combines with existing O2 molecule to make ozone
(O3). The ozone form the ozone layer which absorbs harmful UV radiation.
In the biosphere, the cycle involves respiration, decay and photosynthesis. Organisms mostly
animals take in some oxygen from the atmosphere for respiration. The oxygen requiring
harvesting of energy from food molecules (such as glucose) by cells is called aerobic
respiration. The end product is carbon dioxide, water and energy. The carbon dioxide which
comes from the process of respiration is then sent to plants or planktons for the process of
photosynthesis. Photosynthesis can be considered as the reverse reaction of respiration, in the
sense that it takes in the carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight to produce food
and oxygen gas together with a little amount of energy compared to respiration. The oxygen
produced by photosynthesis is sent back to the atmosphere, it is a continuous cycle as it
comes back to earth by respiration and undergoes the same above processes. Marine in the
biosphere create calcium carbonate (CaCO3) shell material that is rich in oxygen. When such
an organism dies, it is deposited on the shallow sea floor and buried over time to create the
limestone rock of the lithosphere.
In the lithosphere, it is where most of the earth’s oxygen is held. Due to weathering whether
chemical or by organisms oxygen is released from minerals or rocks containing oxygen.
Plants and animals can extract nutrient from rocks by causing the rocks to break or form
crack in turn release oxygen. Also, When an oxygen binding mineral is exposed elements a
chemical reaction occurs that wears down and in the process produce free oxygen for
example hydrolysis of silicate or carbocation of limestone.
Oxygen and the oxygen cycle play an important role in helping to protect and maintain life on
earth,