The Phosphorus Cycle

Why is phosphorus important to living things?

It is a key component of cell membranes and of several molecules essential to life, including DNA and RNA.

Where is phosphorus stored?

rocks, soil, sediment and the oceans

How do people obtain phosphorus?

from the water they drink and the organisms they eat

How does the release of large amounts of phosphorus by humans cause problems?

The addition of phosphorus to bodies of water can lead to an overgrowth of producers (usually algae) in a process called eutrophication. In extreme cases, eutrophication can lead to hypoxia, or extremely low levels of oxygen in a body of water, as decomposers break down all the dead produces.

Law of conservation of matter

A principle that states that matter can be transformed but cannot be created or destroyed.

Nutrient

matter that organisms need to live

Biogeochemical cycle

a complex cycle is which nutrients continuously circulate through the environment

primary producer

an organism that produces its own food

photosynthesis

the process by which producers use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to make their own food

consumer

An organism that must eat other organisms to get nutrients.

decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms.

cellular respiration

The process by which organisms use oxygen to release the energy in food and carbon dioxide and water.

eutrophication

An overgrowth of algae and other producers.

nitrogen fixation

The conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia, which makes nitrogen gas usable for organisms.

Which four nutrients cycle through all of Earth's spheres and organisms?

carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen

Only a producer can use the sun's energy or chemical energy to make food.

true

The products of photosynthesis are oxygen and.....

carbohydrates

Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that break down waste are called....

decomposers

Why is cellular respiration important for life on Earth?

Cellular respiration is how organisms break down sugars in food to release the chemical energy they need to live.

Most of the nitrogen on Earth is located in the ....

atmosphere

Which of the following crops increases the amount of usable nitrogen in soil?

legumes

The Haber-Bosch process enabled people to

fix nitrogen artificially

Name two ways nitrogen can be fixed naturally for plant use.

Through the energy released by a lightning strike and by nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil.

What happens to nitrogen during the process of denitrification?

Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates in soil or water into nitrogen gas.