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OXYGEN-CARBON DIOXIDE

CYCLE

OXYGEN CYCLE

Theoxygen cycleis thebiogeochemical cycle


that describes the movement ofoxygenwithin its
three main reservoirs: theatmosphere(air), the
total content of biological matter within the
biosphere(the global sum of all ecosystems), and
thelithosphere(Earth's crust). Failures in the
oxygen cycle within thehydrosphere(the
combined mass of water found on, under, and over
the surface of planet Earth) can result in the
development ofhypoxic zones. The main driving
factor of the oxygen cycle isphotosynthesis, which
is responsible for the modern Earth's atmosphere
and life on earth

CARBON CYCLE

The Carbon Cycle


All living things are made of carbon. Carbon is also a part of the ocean, air,
and even rocks. Because the Earth is a dynamic place, carbon does not
stay still. It is on the move!
In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to some oxygen in a gas called
carbon dioxide.
Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food and grow.
The carbon becomes part of the plant. Plants that die and are buried may
turn into fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years.
When humans burn fossil fuels, most of the carbon quickly enters the
atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere.
Without it and other greenhouse gases, Earth would be a frozen world. But
humans have burned so much fuel that there is about 30% more carbon
dioxide in the air today than there was about 150 years ago, and Earth is
becoming a warmer place. In fact, ice cores show us that there is now more
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there has been in the last 420,000
years.

The Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide


Cycle

Plants and other producers use carbon dioxide in


photosynthesis. They produce oxygen as a waste
product. Carbon dioxide moves from the air into the
leaves of plants. Oxygen moves from the plant into the
air through the leaves. Almost all living things,
including plants, get energy from cellular respiration.
This process releases energy from the sugar molecules
in food. Oxygen is used in cellular respiration. Carbon
dioxide is produced as a waste product. The oxygen
produced during photosynthesis is used in cellular
respiration. The carbon dioxide produced in cellular
respiration is used in photosynthesis. This is the
oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle.

OXYGEN-CARBON DIOXIDE
CYCLE

The Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide


Cycle

The continuous
exchange of gases by
plants and animals in
the environment is
called the oxygencarbon dioxide cycle.

SOURCES

Real Life Science


6
Internet
Magazines

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