Calcium cycle

Envi. Sci. Handouts. \m/

1. Calcium Cycle
Group 3:
Joannah Borallo
Kit Delez
Kirby Manuel
LJ Martin
Ysabel Montenegro

2. What is Calcium?
Calciumisthechemicalelementwiththe
symbolCaandatomicnumber20.Ithasanatomic
massof40.078amu.Calciumisasoftgrayalkaline
earthmetal,andisthefifthmostabundantelement
bymassintheEarth'scrust.Calciumisalsothefifth
mostabundantdissolvedioninseawaterbyboth
molarity and mass, after sodium
thenchloride,magnesium,andsulfate.

3. Importance of Calcium in Life
Calcium is necessary for life
In early life, calcium helps build strong bones and
teeth
Helps with muscle contraction and other body
process
Plants need calcium to help in cell wall
development and their metabolism; stronger cell
walls protect from pathogens

4. Calcium in human bodies
Frombirthtodeathcalciumisanessentialelement
forhumanbeings.Besidesitspresenceinbonesand
teeth,themineralizedtissueswhichcontain99%of
thebody’scalcium,itispresentinionizedforminthe
blood,extracellularfluidsandwithinthecellsofsoft
tissuessuchasmuscles.Itisnecessaryfortherelease
ofenergyinmuscularcontraction,fornerve
transmissionandtheregulationofheartbeat,must
bepresentforbloodtoclot,andinfluencesthe
transportfunctionofcellmembranes.Theproper
balanceofcalciumwithsodium,potassiumand
magnesiumionsmaintainsmuscletoneandcontrols
irritability.

5. From the biosphere…
Calcium enters from biosphere in dust or from
organisms
Like phosphorous, there is no gaseous state so it does
not stay in the atmosphere
When animals die, the calcium in their bodies are
decomposed and go into soil
In the soil…
Water can carry calcium to or from soil through
weathering
When in the soil, calcium is in an insoluble form until it
is broken down by microbes into a usable form
Mineralization can store calcium in rocks
Calcium can be returned from root leakage
Calcium can be absorbed by plant roots

6. In plants…
When absorbed by plants, calcium is now in an
organic state
The calcium can continually be recycled
between the plant roots and soil
Or herbivores can eat the plants or drink the
water and the calcium returns to the biosphere
If the plant or animal dies, decomposers break
down the organism and calcium is returned to
water or soil

7. Calcium Cycle Diagram

8. Occurrence
Calcium is not naturally found in its elemental state.
Calcium occurs most commonly insedimentary
rocksin the mineralscalcite,dolomiteandgypsum. It
also occurs inigneousandmetamorphic
rockschiefly in thesilicate
minerals:plagioclase,amphiboles,pyroxenesand
garnets.

9. The End