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The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon moves from the atmosphere into the Earth and its organisms and then back again.
The Carbon Cycle Step 1
Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration (breathing) and combustion (burning).
The Carbon Cycle Step 2
Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers (life forms that make their own food e.g. plants) to make
carbohydrates in photosynthesis . These producers then put off oxygen.
The Carbon Cycle Step 3
Animals feed on the plants. Thus passing the carbon compounds along the food chain. Most of the carbon these animals consume however is exhaled as
carbon dioxide. This is through the process of respiration. The animals and plants then eventually die.
The Carbon Cycle Step 4
The dead organisms (dead animals and plants) are eaten by
decomposers in the ground. The carbon that was in their bodies is then returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. In some circumstances the process of decomposition is
prevented. The decomposed plants and animals may then be available as
fossil fuel in the future for combustion.
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