Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

LEARNING ACTIVITY 4.1

SOIL BIOLOGY 120

Name: Robelyn M. Recto

Rogie Oximoso

Assigned topics:
C Cycle
Aspects of microbial physiology
Organic matter decomposition
Cellulose, hemicellulose and other organic compounds
Objectives:

1. Discuss the carbon cycle.

a. Components
b. Chemical process
c. Specific organism
2. Identify the environmental factors that affect and influences the C cycle.
3. Give a brief discussion on aspects of microbial physiology.
4. Determine the organic matter decomposition as related to soil biology.
5. Define the cellulose, hemicellulose and other organic compounds.

1. WHAT IS CARBON CYCLE?

 Carbon is one of the most common elements found in living organisms. Chains of
carbon molecules form the backbones of many organic molecules, such as
carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Carbon is constantly cycling between living
organisms and the atmosphere.

 All living things are made of carbon. When animals, bacteria, and other living organisms
breathe out, their breath is filled with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is taken out of
the atmosphere by plant photosynthesis. This helps plants to grow.

 When these plants grow, they create new leaves, roots, and shoots. At the end of the
season, leaves fall to the ground, and turn into different types of soil organic matter. This
dead organic matter creates food for microbes, which respire and create carbon dioxide
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

back to the atmosphere. When plants or the soil are burned, this also releases carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.

 In the soil, there are two major types of soil carbon. Biomass, which is the living bacteria
and fungi, and non-biomass carbon, which is the cellulose, starch, and lignin in dead
plants. Some of these bind soil particles together into soil structure.

Image credit: Biogeochemical cycles: Figure 3 by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0;

modification of work by John M. Evans and Howard Perlman, USGS

a. WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF CARBON CYCLE?

 Photosynthesis: the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere (terrestrial plants) and from
oceans (marine plants) to produce organic carbon structures.

 Respiration: the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, soil and oceans by animals as they
exhale.

 Digestion: the release of carbon compounds by terrestrial and marine animals after
feeding on carbon-rich material.
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

 Decomposition: the breakdown of animals and plant structures by bacteria and the
release of carbon compounds into the atmosphere, soil and to the ocean floor. Where
oxygen is present it releases CO2, where it is absent CH4 is released.

 Combustion: natural fires release carbon compounds from vegetation to the atmosphere.

*Carbon stored: rocks, ocean water, plant, animals, soil and atmosphere.

b. WHAT IS THE CHEMICAL PROCESS OF CARBON CYCLE?

 Metabolism (plants used oxygen and produced CO2; transpire), photosynthesis (plants
used CO2 and produce oxygen), mineralization (chemical decomposed by OM into
easily available form to plants) and geological process (formation of sedimentary rock
and fossil fuels) are the major chemical processes in the global carbon cycle.

 The process of oxygen generation is called photosynthesis. During photosynthesis,

plants and other producers transfer carbon dioxide and water into complex
carbohydrates, such as glucose, under the influence of sunlight.
carbon dioxide + water + solar energy -> glucose + oxygen
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + solar energy -> C6H12O6 + 6 O2

 This carbon dioxide is generated through the process of cellular respiration, which has
the reverse chemical reaction as photosynthesis. That means when our cells burn food
(glucose) for energy, carbon dioxide is released. We, like all animals, exhale this carbon
dioxide and return it back to the atmosphere. Also, carbon is released to the atmosphere
as an organism dies and decomposes.

c. SPECIFIC ORGANISM RESPONSIBLE FOR CARBON CYCLE

 Carbon compounds from long-ago plants and algae make up the fossil fuels, such as
coal and natural gas, that we use today as energy sources.
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

 Photosynthesis by land plants, bacteria, and algae converts carbon dioxide or

bicarbonate into organic molecules. Organic molecules made by photosynthesizers are
passed through food chains, and cellular respiration converts the organic carbon back
into carbon dioxide gas.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT AND INFLUENCES THE C CYCLE

 Human activities:
- Burning of Fossil Fuels (natural gas, oil and coal);
- Carbon Sequestration (plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it);
- Deforestation (permanent removal of trees from forests without replantation);
- Geologic Sequestration (human activity can affect the carbon cycle by capturing
carbon dioxide and storing it underground).

 Environmental factors:
- Moisture (essential for the optimum growth of microorganism);
- Oxygen (Aerobes – Oxygen required, Facultative Anaerobes - can grow both under the
presence and absence of oxygen, Obligate Anaerobes – grow in absence of oxygen)
needed to be maintained to acquire optimum growth;
- Carbon Dioxide (provided by the environment or it can be produced by the bacteria due
to cellular metabolism)
- Temperature (influence the growth of the organisms, 37 degrees Celsius pathogens
grow)
- pH (produce organic acids which reduce pH of the medium)
- Light (presence of ultraviolet rays and radiation can reduce bacterial growth)

3. GIVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON ASPECTS OF MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY

 Microbial physiology is defined as the study of how microbial cell structures, growth and
metabolism function in living organisms. It covers the study of viruses, bacteria, fungi
and parasites.

 Microorganisms are the smallest organisms on Earth (e.g., algae, fungi, protozoa,
bacteria and viruses).
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

- Prokaryotic Microorganisms (bacteria and archaea) -- lacks a nucleus to hold the

cell's DNA and lacks any sort of organized packaging or housing to hold the rest of
the cell's machinery, single-celled.

- Eukaryotic Microorganisms (fungi, algae, protozoa) --The DNA of a eukaryotic cell is

neatly packaged within its nucleus, and there are several different structures that
house the cellular machinery that can make eukaryotic microorganisms self-
sufficient.

4. ORGANIC MATTER DECOMPOSITION AS RELATED TO SOIL BIOLOGY

 The five major groups of microorganisms are bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae, and
protozoa.

 Decomposition is a biological breakdown and biochemical transformation of complex

organic molecules of dead material into simpler organic and inorganic molecules.

CH2O (OM) + O2  H20 + CO2 + Nutrients (Nitrate phosphate, Iron, Silica)

+ Chemical energy
 Source of organic matter:
- Plant and plant remains
- Animal tissue and excretory products
- Cells of microorganisms

5. DEFINE THE CELLULOSE, HEMICELLULOSE AND OTHER ORGANIC

COMPOUNDS

 Organic Constituents of Plants

- Cellulose (15 % to 60 % abundant in dry weight) found in cell wall of plant cell.
- Hemicellulose (10 to 30 %) have the capacity to bind strongly to cellulose micro
fibrils.
- Lignin (5 to 30 %) support tissues of most plants.
- Water soluble fraction (5 to 30 %) i. e. simple sugar, amino acids, aliphatic acids
- Ether and alcohol-soluble constituents i. e. fats, oils, waxes, resins
- Proteins
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

 Why organism decompose OM?

- To supply energy for growth
- To supply carbon for new cell synthesis
- Cells of microorganism contain ~50% carbon derived from substrates.

 Decomposers
- Soil fauna (earthworms, arthropods)
- Soil microorganisms (heterotrophic bacteria, fungi)

 Three Decomposition Process

- Assimilation (conversion of substrates materials into protoplasmic materials, i. e. OM
carbon to microbial carbon)
- Mineralization (conversion of organic substance into inorganic form, i. e. protein from
OM to inorganic nitrogen)
- Immobilization (conversion of inorganic from to organic, i. e. inorganic nitrogen to
microbial protein).
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

References:
1. 2018, Carbon cycle, CK-12 Life Science For Middle School
https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-middle-school-life-science-2.0/section/12.22/primary/
lesson/the-carbon-cycle-ms-ls
2. 2021, Carbon Cycle, Soil Science Society of America
https://www.soils4teachers.org/carbon-cycle/#:~:text=In%20the%20soil%2C%20there
%20are,particles%20together%20into%20soil%20structure.
3. Fast carbpn cycle, tutor2u.net
https://www.tutor2u.net/geography/reference/what-is-the-fast-carbon-cycle
4. The carbon cycle, lenntech.com
https://www.lenntech.com/carbon-cycle.htm
5. 2021, Microbial Physiology, omicsonline.org
https://www.omicsonline.org/microbial-physiology/articles.php#:~:text=Microbial%20physiology
%20is%20defined%20as,%2C%20bacteria%2C%20fungi%20and%20parasites.&text=Microbial
%20physiology%20is%20important%20in,engineering%20and%20also%20functional
%20genomics.
6. Ari Reid, 2018. Characteristics of Microorganisms. Sciencing
https://sciencing.com/characteristics-microorganisms-8350383.html
7. Alia Najiha, 2013, Chapter 6: Organic matter decomposition, Fundamentals of
Agricultural Microbiology, slideshare.net
https://www.slideshare.net/AliaNajiha1/c6-mic319orgmatter-decomposition