The Carbon

Cycle
The Cycle
To sustain life, plants require
a constant source of carbon
dioxide, while animals need a
continuous supply of oxygen.
The Cycle
Plants take in Carbon Dioxide from the
atmosphere to manufacture food
through photosynthesis. In this process,
sunlight and raw materials, including
water and carbon dioxide, are used to
produce glucose and oxygen.
The Cycle Ph
syn
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the
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The Cycle
Oxygen are released into
atmosphere, is then taken by
humans and animals through
respiration to be used in
cellular processes.
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The Cycle
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Animals
and
Humans
The Cycle
In heterotrophs, oxygen helps break down
organic molecules, producing energy and
other by-products such as carbon dioxide
and water. Carbon dioxide is also released
directly into the atmosphere by
disassembled or decaying animals and
other organisms.
The Cycle
Ph
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Animals
and
Humans
Decaying Dead organisms, waste
Organisms products
The Cycle
This released carbon dioxide
is then acquired by plants to
be used in photosynthesis,
and the cycle continues.
The Cycle
Ph
o
tos s
yn
t he
si

Animals
and
Humans
Decaying Dead organisms, waste
Organisms products
The Cycle
The carbon cycle does not only involve living
organisms. Since carbon dioxide is soluble in
water, carbon dioxide is exchanged between the
atmosphere and bodies of water through
diffusion. Some carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere combines with water to produce
carbonic acid, which breaks down into
bicarbonate ions.
The Cycle
Bicarbonate ions are sources of carbon from
aquatic organisms. Through complex processes,
carbon atoms combine and rearrange into
carbon skeletons of different shapes and sizes.
Other elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus,
sulfur and oxygen, are attached to produce the
substance of living matter.