1. HE
T
CARBON
CYCLE
BY: Leira Ann P. Figueroa
BSBA FTM II-1
2. What is Carbon?
• From Latin: carbo “coal“.
• A chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6.
• It is the fourth most abundant element in the universe.
• A naturally abundant nonmetallic element which forms
the basis of most living organisms.
• It is part of oceans, air, rocks, soil and all living things.
• Commonly used as a shorthand for carbon dioxide, the
most important greenhouse gas released by humans.
3. Carbon Reservoir
oThe Atmosphere
oThe Biosphere -
(include fresh water systems
and non-living organic
material, such as soil carbon).
oThe Oceans -
(including dissolved inorganic
carbon and living and non-
living marine biota).
oThe lithosphere-
(sediments, Earth core
including fossil fuels).
4. CARBON CYCLE
A complex series of
processes through which
all of the carbon atoms
in existence rotate.
It is one of the most
important cycles of the
Earth and allows for
carbon to be recycled
and reused throughout
the biosphere and all of
its organisms.
Carbon doesn’t stay in
one place.stay in one
place.It is always on
theIt is always on
themove!move
5. Carbon moves from the
atmosphere to the Plants
• In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to
oxygen in a gas called carbon dioxide
(CO2), With the help of the Sun, through
the process of photosynthesis, carbon
dioxide is pulled from the air to make
plant food from carbon.
• Energy is released from these molecules
during respiration.
6. Carbon moves from Plants to
Animals
• Through food chains, the carbon that is in plants moves
to the animals that eat them. Animals that eat other
animals get the carbon from their food, too.
•Respiration uses oxygen and releases
CO2.
•Photosynthesis uses CO2 and releases
oxygen.
7. Carbon moves from Plants
and Animals to the Ground
• When plants and animals die, their bodies,
wood, and leaves decay, bringing the carbon
into the ground.
• Some becomes buried miles underground and
will become fossil fuels in millions and millions
of years.
8. Carbon moves from livings
things to the atmosphere
• Each time you exhale, you are
releasing carbon dioxide gas
(CO2) into the atmosphere.
Animals and plants get rid of
carbon dioxide gas through a
process called respiration.
9. Carbon moves from fossil
fuels to the atmosphere
when fuels are burned.
• When humans burn fossil fuels to Power factories,
Power plants, cars and trucks, mostcks, most of the
carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon
dioxide gas. Each year, five and a half billion tons of
carbon is released by burning fossil fuels.That's the
weight of 100 adult African elephants! Of the huge
amount of carbon that is released from fuels,3.3
billion tons enters the atmosphere and most of the
rest becomes dissolved in seawater.
10. Carbon moves from the
atmosphere to the
ocean.
oThe oceans and
other bodies of
water, soak up some
carbon from the
atmosphere.
oCoral Reefs are
made of shells of
tiny sea organisms
made almost
entirely of carbon
11. 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 so fuel that there
is about 30% more carbon dioxide
in the air today than there was
150 years ago. More greenhouse
gases such as Carbon Dioxide in
our atmosphere are causing our
planet top become warmer.
