Biogeochemical Cycle

A biogeochemical cycle or substance turnover or

cycling of substances is a pathway by which a
chemical substance moves through biotic and abiotic
compartments of Earth. There are biogeochemical
cycles for carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, water
,phosphorus, and sulfur; and there are human-induced
cycles such as those for mercury and atrazine.
Chemical Substance

A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant

chemical composition and characteristic properties. It
cannot be separated into components by physical
separation methods, i.e., without breaking chemical
bonds.

Chemical substances can be simple substances, chemical

compounds, or alloys. Chemical elements may or may
not be included in the definition, depending on expert
viewpoint.
Biosphere (biotic)
The biosphere (from Greek βίος bíos "life" and σφαῖρα sphaira
"sphere") also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος
oîkos "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all
ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on Earth, a
closed system (apart from solar and cosmic radiation and heat
from the interior of the Earth), and largely self-regulating.

The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all

living beings and their relationships, including their interaction
with the elements of the lithosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere,
and atmosphere.
Abiotic compartments of Earth.

* Lithosphere
* Atmosphere
* Hydrosphere
Lithosphere

A lithosphere (Ancient Greek: λίθος [lithos] for "rocky",

and σφαίρα [sphaira] for "sphere") is the rigid, outermost
shell of a terrestrial-type planet, or natural satellite, that is
defined by its rigid mechanical properties. On Earth, it is
composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle
that behaves elastically on time scales of thousands of
years or greater. The outermost shell of a rocky planet,
the crust, is defined on the basis of its chemistry and
mineralogy.
The tectonic plates of
the lithosphere on
Earth
Atmosphere

An atmosphere (from Greek ἀτμός (atmos), meaning

'vapour', and σφαῖρα (sphaira), meaning 'sphere') is a
layer or a set of layers of gases surrounding a planet or
other material body, that is held in place by the gravity of
that body. An atmosphere is more likely to be retained if
the gravity it is subject to is high and the temperature of
the atmosphere is low.
Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere (from Greek ὕδωρ hydōr, "water" and

σφαῖρα sphaira, "sphere") is the combined mass of water
found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor
planet or natural satellite. Although the hydrosphere has
been around for longer than 4 billion years, it continues to
change in size. This is caused by the seafloor spreading
and the continental drift, which rearranges the land and
ocean.
Carbon Cycle

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.
The Water Cycle
The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the
surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and
condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to
the surface as precipitation. The cycling of water in and
out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the
weather patterns on Earth.
Oxygen cycle

The oxygen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle of oxygen

within its four main reservoirs: the atmosphere (air), the
total content of biological matter within the biosphere
(the global sum of all ecosystems), the hydrosphere (the
combined mass of water found on, under, and over the
surface of planet Earth), and the lithosphere/Earth's crust.
The main driving factor of the oxygen cycle is
photosynthesis, which is responsible for the modern
Earth's atmosphere and life on Earth in its current form.
Nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which
nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it
circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine
ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out
through both biological and physical processes. Important
processes in the nitrogen cycle include fixation,nitrification,
ammonification, and denitrification.

The majority of Earth's atmosphere (80%) is nitrogen, making it

the largest source of nitrogen. However, atmospheric nitrogen
has limited availability for biological use, leading to a scarcity
of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems.
Nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process that converts

atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, which is absorbed by
organisms. Nitrogen fixation is essentially converting
atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can more
readily utilize.
Nitrogen fixation is essential for some forms of life
because inorganic nitrogen compounds are required for
the biosynthesis of the basic building blocks of plants,
animals and other life forms, e.g., nucleotides for DNA
and RNA, the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide for its role in metabolism (transferring
electrons between molecules), and amino acids for
proteins.
Nitrification
The conversion of ammonium to nitrate is performed
primarily by soil-living bacteria and other nitrifying
bacteria. In the primary stage of nitrification, the
oxidation of ammonium (NH+4) is performed by bacteria
such as the Nitrosomonas species, which converts
ammonia to nitrites (NO−2). Other bacterial species such
as Nitrobacter, are responsible for the oxidation of the
nitrites (NO−2) into nitrates (NO−3)
Ammonification

When a plant or animal dies or an animal expels waste, the

initial form of nitrogen is organic. Bacteria or fungi convert
the organic nitrogen within the remains back into ammonium
(NH+4), a process called ammonification or mineralization.
Minor Role in ammonium assimilation.
Denitrification is the reduction of nitrates back into
nitrogen gas (N2), completing the nitrogen cycle. This
process is performed by bacterial species such as
Pseudomonas and Clostridium in anaerobic conditions.

Denitrification happens in anaerobic conditions e.g.

waterlogged soils. The denitrifying bacteria use nitrates
in the soil to carry out respiration and consequently
produce nitrogen gas, which is inert and unavailable to
plants.
Phosphorus is a chemical element found on Earth in
numerous compound forms, such as the phosphate ion
(PO43-), located in water, soil and sediments. The
quantities of phosphorus in soil are generally small, and
this often limits plant growth. That is why people often
apply phosphate fertilisers on farmland. Animals absorb
phosphates by eating plants or plant-eating animals.

The phosphorus cycle

Phosphorus moves in a cycle through rocks, water, soil
and sediments and organisms.
Here are the key steps of the phosphorus cycle

*Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate

ions and other minerals. This inorganic phosphate is then distributed
in soils and water.
*Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil. The plants may
then be consumed by animals. Once in the plant or animal, the
phosphate is incorporated into organic molecules such as DNA. When
the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic phosphate is
returned to the soil.
*Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available
to plants by bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic
forms of phosphorus. This process is known as mineralisation.
*Phosphorus in soil can end up in waterways and eventually
oceans. Once there, it can be incorporated into sediments over time.
Sulfur Cycle
Sulfur cycles between the oceans, land, and atmosphere.
Atmospheric sulfur is found in the form of sulfur dioxide
(SO2) and enters the atmosphere in three ways: from the
decomposition of organic molecules, from volcanic
activity and geothermal vents, and from the burning of
fossil fuels by humans.
Steps of the sulfur cycle are:

*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 (SO42−).

*Reduction of sulfate to sulfide.

*Incorporation of sulfide into organic compounds (including

metal-containing derivatives).
Reported by :

BABAO, KATELYNN C.