The Carbon Elements by Brian Belval

Author:Brian Belval
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is so essential that nature has devised a system to recycle it. The carbon cycle is the exchange of carbon between living things, the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth’s crust. Carbon is never destroyed during the carbon cycle; it only changes form.

One of the most important carbon compounds in the cycle is carbon dioxide. This compound is made up of one atom of carbon combined with two atoms of oxygen. It has the chemical formula CO2. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants and, with the help of energy from the sun, is converted into a carbon compound called glucose (C6H12O6). This process of converting carbon dioxide into glucose is known as photosynthesis. In this process, the energy of the sun is stored in the molecules of glucose. The plant uses this energy to grow. Eventually, either the plant will be eaten or it will die. If it dies, it decomposes. As it decomposes, bacteria and other organisms extract energy from the glucose in the plant by converting it back into carbon dioxide, which they release into the atmosphere. If the plant is eaten, the glucose is converted into energy and carbon dioxide by the animal or human that eats it. The carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere when the animal or human breathes. This process is called respiration. The cycle begins again when the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is taken in by another plant or tree.

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