Carbon cycle

B.Sc First Year Environmental Science Syllabus

1. CARBON CYCLE
Dr. AsmitaDaspute.
Assistant Professor ,
Dept. Of Environmental Science,
SBES College Of Science Aurangabad (MS)

2. CARBON CYCLE
•Definition
•Carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle in which carbon compounds are interconverted in the
environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into the living tissues by
photosynthesis and its return to the environment through respiration the decay of dead
organism and burning of fossil fuels”. OR
•“The movement of carbon from one area to another area.”
•Carbon dioxide is 0.04% in the atmosphere.

3. CARBON CYCLE
•Carbonis the most important element in thebiologicalsystem and constitutes about 50% of all living organisms.
•Carbondioxide present in the atmosphere or dissolved in water is the ultimate source of
organiccarboncompounds occurring in nature.
•Carbon cycle, in biology, circulation of carbon in various forms through nature.
•Carbon dioxide rom the atmosphere is taken up by photosynthetic organisms and used to make organic molecules,
which travel through food chains. In the end, the carbon atoms are releasedas Co2by respiration.
•Slow geological processes, including the formation of sedimentary rock and fossil fuels, contribute to the carbon
cycle .
•Some human activities, such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, increase atmospheric Co2and affect
Earth's climate and oceans.

4. CARBON CYCLE
•About 18% of your body consists of carbon atoms, by mass, and those carbon atoms are pretty key to your
existence Without carbon, you wouldn't have the plasma membranes of your cells, the sugar molecules you
use for fuel, or even theDNA that carries instructions to build and run your body.
•Carbon compounds from long-ago plants and algae make up the fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, that we use
today as energy sources.
•When these fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released into the air, leading to higher and higher levels of
atmospheric Co2
•This increase in Co2levels affects Earth's climate and is a major environmental concern worldwide.

6. STEPS OF CARBON CYCLE
•1. Carbon moves from atmosphere to plants
•2. Carbon move from plants to animals
•3. Carbon moves from plants and animal to the ground
•4. Carbon moves from living thing to the atmosphere
•5. Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere
•6. Carbon moves from atmosphere to the oceans

7. 1 CARBON MOVES FROM
ATMOSPHERE TO PLANTS
•Plants pull carbon dioxide (CO2) from the
atmosphere.
•Using sunlight with the CO2 they make
glucose.
•This process is photosynthesis.
•The carbon can be used by the plant (food)
and used to build the plant (cellulose).
•Also gives off CO2 from cellular
respiration.

8. 2 CARBON MOVES FROM PLANTS TO ANIMALS
•When organisms eat plants, they take in the carbon and some of it becomes
part of their own bodies
•Animals get co2from plants through food chain ,because plants are
producers and animals are harbivors,carnivors,andthen consumers.
•When organisms eat animals, they take in the carbon and some of it
becomes part of their own bodies.
•They generate CO2 from cellular respiration (break down of glucose) and
exhale this CO2 into the atmosphere.

9. 2 CARBON MOVES FROM PLANTS TO ANIMALS

10. 3 CARBON MOVES FROM PLANTS AND ANIMALS TO THE GROUND
•When plants and animals die, most of their bodies are decomposed and
carbon atoms are returned to the atmosphere.(CO2)
•Some are not decomposed fully and end up as deposits underground (oil,
coal, etc.= fossil fuels=Carbon)

11. 4 CARBON MOVES FROM
LIVING THING TO THE
ATMOSPHERE
When you exhale ,you breath out
CO2 into the atmosphere ,Through
process called respiration.

12. 5 CARBON MOVE FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO THE
ATMOSPHERE
•Carbon moves from fossil fuel to the atmosphere when fuels are burned
,when humans burn fossil fuels to power factories, power plants ,cars and
trucks most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
gas.

13. 6 CARBON MOVES FROM ATMOSPHERE
TO THE OCEANS
•Additional carbon is stored in the ocean.
•CO2 passes into the water from the atmosphere.
•Plants & phytoplankton use for photosynthesis.
•Many animals pull carbon from water to use in shells, etc.
•Animals die and carbon substances are deposited at the bottom of the
ocean.
•Oceans contain earth’s largest store of carbon.

14. CARBON CYCLE