1. Cycles in Nature

2. The Cycles of Matter
Three cycles that moves matter among the environment and living things
Water cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle

3. The Carbon Cycle

4. The Carbon Cycle
The movement of carbon from the environment into living things and back again
Carbon is essential to all living things because it is part of our molecules.

5. The Carbon Cycle- Important Process
Photosynthesis- carbon moves from the environment into living things
Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to make sugar
Animals get carbon from eating plants
Respiration- carbon moves from living things back to the environment
Sugar molecules are broken down to release energy and carbon dioxide is given off when we exhale

6. Combustion- the process of burning fuel
The Carbon Cycle
Decomposition- carbon moving from dead organisms back to the environment
Fungi and bacteria decompose dead organisms
Combustion- the process of burning fuel
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon back into the atmosphere

7. The Carbon Cycle

8. The Nitrogen Cycle

9. The Nitrogen Cycle
The movement of nitrogen from the environment to living things and back again.
78% of our atmosphere is nitrogen gas
Nitrogen fixation- the process of bacteria changing nitrogen gas into usable nitrogen for plants
Animals get nitrogen from eating plants
Other bacteria decompose dead animals and animal waste and return nitrogen to the atmosphere

12. Answer the following question
How are fertilizers associated with the nitrogen cycle? Don’t know the answer? Do a small investigation aka. Web Search

13. The Nitrogen Cycle