Biosphere and Biogeochemical

Cycles

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Introduction
Have you ever wondered why our atmosphere never runs
out of oxygen? Well that’s because trees and plants produce
oxygen, right? But what if I told you no new oxygen is ever
produced, it is only recycled. In fact, our planet never
produces any new element, they all just move in a cyclic
pattern called biogeochemical cycles. Let us learn more about
them

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 What is a Biogeochemical Cycle?
A biogeochemical cycle or an inorganic-organic cycle is a
circulating or repeatable pathway by which either a chemical
element or a molecule moves through both biotic
(biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere and
hydrosphere) components of an ecosystem

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 What is a Biogeochemical Cycle?
Let us try to understand this definition. Firstly let us
understand that the Earth only receives energy from the Sun,
all other elements on Earth remain within a closed system.
These chemicals, however, are the building blocks of life, they
are the raw materials all living organisms use as nutrients to
produce energy.These chemicals are called biogeochemicals.
Some of the main elements that are in a cyclic pattern are
Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulphur
and Water. Let us now take a look at few of these cycles.
Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)
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 What is a Biogeochemical Cycle?

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 The Carbon cycle
Carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere,
geosphere, hydrosphere and the atmosphere of the Earth
through a biogeochemical cycle called Carbon Cycle.
How do you differentiate between organic and inorganic
matter? Well, this is decided by the presence of carbon in the
matter. Essentially all organic matter contains carbon. Carbon
cycle is the cyclic pattern that carbon follows on earth. By
following the carbon cycle we can also study the flow of
energy as the energy needed for life is stored between
carbon molecules in organic matter as proteins and fats.
Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)
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 The Carbon cycle
Carbon is also present in air as CO2, and in oceans as
carbonates and bicarbonates, that also dissolve to generate
CO2. Carbon is also present in soil (lithosphere) as fossil
fuels.The primary source of removal of carbon from the
atmosphere is when CO2 is absorbed by plants during
photosynthesis.The restock is done through respiration,
combustion of fossil fuels, decomposition and chemical
reactions that give out CO2.

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 The Carbon cycle

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Oxygen Cycle
After carbon, oxygen is one of the most abundant elements
on earth. About 21% of our air is composed of oxygen. It is
also an atom in the molecule of water (H2O). Oxide
compounds, such as CO2 also contain oxygen.

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Oxygen Cycle
As we are aware oxygen is absolutely essential for all living
organisms to survive. It is the main component in respiration.
It is also the element that allows and assists combustion of
any kind. Through photosynthesis, the replenishment of
oxygen in the atmosphere is done, where oxygen is one of
the by-products. In fact, photosynthesis and respiration are
interdependent mechanisms that perform a unique and
amazing balancing

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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Oxygen Cycle

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 Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is available in abundance in our atmosphere (78%),
however, this nitrogen is useless to animals and plants until it
is converted to ammonia and other nitrogen compounds.This
conversion process is called Nitrogen Fixation. And through a
process is called denitrification, once these plants and animals
are dead, this ammonia is broken down by bacteria and fungi
and returned to the atmosphere as Nitrogen.

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Nitrogen Cycle

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Phosphorous Cycle
Phosphorous moves in a cycle in our atmosphere via rocks,
sediment, soil, water and living organisms. Over a long period
of time weathering of rocks leads to phosphate ions and
minerals being released into the soil and water. This is
absorbed by living organisms who need phosphorous to build
nucleic acids such as DNA.Then when these living organisms
die, phosphates are released back into the soil..

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Phosphorous Cycle
There are still various other biogeochemical cycles such as
water, rock, sulphur etc. The importance of these cycles is
that they essentially support all life on the planet because
without these cycles living organism would not get all the
elements they need to survive.

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Phosphorous Cycle

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Phosphorous Cycle
The global phosphorus cycle includes four major processes:
(i) tectonic uplift and exposure of phosphorus-bearing rocks
such as apatite to surface weathering;[9]
(ii) physical erosion, and chemical and biological weathering of
phosphorus-bearing rocks to provide dissolved and
particulate phosphorus to soils, lakes and rivers;

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Phosphorous Cycle
The global phosphorus cycle includes four major processes:
(iii) riverine and subsurface transportation of phosphorus to
various lakes and run-off to the ocean;
(iv) sedimentation of particulate phosphorus (e.g., phosphorus
associated with organic matter and oxide/carbonate minerals)
and eventually burial in marine sediments (this process can
also occur in lakes and rivers).[11]

Biogeochemical Cycles: Oxygen cycle, Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle (toppr.com)

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 Sulphur Cycle
Sulphur cycle occurs when sulphur is consumed by plants and
animals and then released again through decomposition.
Plants take it to make chlorophyll and synthesize proteins
plus vitamins. The fruits and vegetables are consumed by
animals and humans.After assimilation, gases and wastes are
reduced which goes to the environment. Plants and animals
also die and during decomposition, they also release various
sulfur-containing compounds and gases. These mix with water
bodies, rivers, and air.
Sulfur Cycle Importance, Details and Facts: Crucial for all beings (deltadigit.com)
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 Sulphur Cycle

Sulfur Cycle Importance, Details and Facts: Crucial for all beings (deltadigit.com)
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 Sulphur Cycle
• Mineralization of organic sulfur into inorganic forms, such
as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), elemental sulfur, as well as sulfide
minerals.
• Oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, sulfide, and elemental sulfur
(S) to sulfate (SO2−4).
• Reduction of sulfate to sulfide.
• Incorporation of sulfide into organic compounds (including
metal-containing derivatives)

Sulfur cycle - Wikipedia

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END

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