In this IBDP Biology Post, we will understand some ways in which carbon is passed around a ecosystem and how it is created from different factors.
The Carbon Cycle and Construction of it
Plants absorb Carbon Dioxide as Carbon and Oxygen are needed for
- Photosynthesis: Make Carbohydrates and Proteins
Animals eat Plants and Carbon is used for
- Growth
- Respiration: Release energy
Flux: Transfer of Carbon
Sink: Method of Carbon Storage in the Ecosystem
Terrestrial Autotrophs and Carbon Dioxide
All Autotrophs convert Carbon Dioxide [from atmosphere / dissolved in water] into Organic Compounds
- Plants synthesize sugars [Glucose]
- Sugars are
converted into other organic compounds [Carbs, Lipids, Proteins]
Chemoautotrophs fix Carbon by using the energy inside the bonds of Inorganic Compounds [Hydrogen sulpide]
Carbon Dioxide diffuses from Atmosphere / Water in
In IBDP Biology we know that to photosynthesise Plants must have a continuous supply of Carbon Dioxide
- CO2 moves through stomatal pores in the leaves of land plants
- Some Aquatic Plants [Lillies] have Stomata but other fully submerged plants diffusion occurs through surface tissues
- CO2 from outside the leaf diffuses down the concentration gradient into the leaf [H - L]
- Photosynthesis uses the CO2 : concentration of CO2 inside the leaf is low
Organisms carry out Respiration to release energy [ATP]. Carbon Dioxide is a waste product.
In the Carbon Cycle:
- Autotrophs respire
- Heterotrophs respire
- Saprotrophs and Decomposers respire
Methane in the Carbon Cycle
Methane is produced by Methanogenic archaeans
Methanogens: Archean organisms microorganisms that produce methane as a metabollic in Anaerobic conditions
Organic Matter is broken down in Anaerobic conditions during ATP production Methane is released as a waste product from Carbon Dioxide
- Swamps
- Bogs
- Wetlands
- Digestive tracts of Animals
- Marine and Freshwater Sediments
Methane can accumulate in the ground or diffuse into the atmosphere
- Methane eventually oxcidizes into Carbon Dioxide so actual Methane concentrations remain low
- The levels of Methane are increasing in the Atmosphere
- Methane released into the Atmosphere can be removed by a few mechanisms but the most important process of methane removal is
oxcidization by hydroxyl radicals
That's all for part 1!
Drafted by Venetia (Biology)
References
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Ffigure%2FThe-Carbon-Cycle-Source-Alamy-2020-The-Carbon-Cycle-8_fig4_343448189&psig=AOvVaw2QJYx5tpZ-5ko_YvKRN3du&ust=1625916778330000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAoQjRxqFwoTCMDpt5Ly1fECFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscied.ucar.edu%2Fimage%2Fcarbon-cycle&psig=AOvVaw3MaMjIoEK1vw9Rm_ngiGY7&ust=1625916893104000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAoQjRxqFwoTCIiVzcny1fECFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD