Matter Cycles! AKA: Nutrient Cycles All matter essential for life moves in cycles between living things & the environment Examples of cycles: carbon cycle water cycle nitrogen cycle

The basic building block of organic compounds essential for life. What is Carbon The basic building block of organic compounds essential for life.

Why is carbon important to us? Carbon Cycle Why is carbon important to us? 1) Carbon is used to make hair, muscle, & skin 2) Carbon stores energy so living things can think, move, etc 3) Fossil fuels (gas, coal, oil) are made from carbon

Where is carbon found in the environment? atmospheric gas (CO2) rocks (limestone, diamonds) fossil fuels (oil, coal, etc.)

How does carbon enter living things? 1) CO2 gas enters plants 2) Photosynthesis allows plants to change CO2 into a sugar 3) Animals then get carbon by eating the sugar found in plants

How does carbon get back into the environment? 1. Plants & animals release CO2 during respiration 2. Burning of wood & fossil fuels 3. Using electricity, (most power plants use fossil fuels) 4. Cow farts (seriously) 5. Decomposition when bacteria and fungus break down tissue of dead things

How are fossil fuels formed? When living things die & fall to the bottom of water, they are buried & compressed  They eventually form coal, petroleum, or natural gas

the 2 main steps are photosynthesis & respiration! So what’s the cycle? the 2 main steps are photosynthesis & respiration!

The Carbon Cycle The movement of carbon through the environment 2 major driving forces Photosynthesis- plants and algae take up CO2 from the air or water to make sugar Cellular Respiration- consumers use sugar for energy and release CO2 into the air or water

Due to humans using more fossil fuels, more CO2 is released each year Future Predictions Due to humans using more fossil fuels, more CO2 is released each year this may result in global warming since CO2 traps heat (remember the greenhouse effect)

What is global warming?

Facts about Nitrogen 78% of air is nitrogen gas (N2) Living things can’t use nitrogen when it’s a gas (N2)

Why do living things need Nitrogen? To make amino acids & proteins To make DNA

Nitrogen gas (N2) is found in the atmosphere The Nitrogen Cycle Step #1 Nitrogen gas (N2) is found in the atmosphere

Step #2 ”Nitrogen Fixation”: Bacteria living at the roots change the N2 gas into a usable form like ammonia or nitrates Lightning also “fixes” nitrogen

Step #3 Step #4 Plants then use the ammonia or nitrates in the soil Animals get nitrogen from plants by eating them

Step #5 When plants & animals die, the nitrogen in them is released back into the atmosphere as a gas (N2)

What are the two process that are responsible; for cycling Carbon in the environment? What things add carbon? Which things take it away? Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Photosynthesis : take it away Cellular Respiration, Fossil Fuels and Decaying organisms add it.

Water Cycle The movement of water from the atmosphere to Earth’s Surface and back to the atmosphere. Evaporation and Transpiration (plant sweating): changes liquid water into water vapor. Water goes from Earth to the atmosphere. Condensation: changes water vapor into water droplets (clouds). Precipitation: Water goes from the atmosphere to Earth. Rain, snow or hail