The Nitrogen Cycle AND The Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen (N₂)

A gas that makes up 78% of our atmosphere.

The Nitrogen Cycle

The process in which Nitrogen circulates and is recycled.

Nitrification

the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria

Converts (or fixes) Nitrogen gas into a usable form for plants and animals.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process of combining (or fixing) Nitrogen gas with other elements in order to make it usable.

Nitrates

Nitrogen-Oxygen (NO₃) compounds that are a usable form of Nitrogen.

Denitrification

When dead plant and animal matter decomposes and Nitrogen is released back into the atmosphere.

Denitrifying Bacteria

Converts Nitrogen compounds back into free, atmospheric Nitrogen.

Nitrifying Bacteria

Converts other compounds into nitrates and nitrites by adding Oxygen to Nitrogen

Atmosphere

The reservoir made up of the envelope of air that surrounds Earth.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants take in CO₂ (to make energy in the form of glucose) and give off Oxygen.

Detritus

The waste and remains of once living things.

Fossil Fuels

Plants and animals that are buried underground for a long, long time.

Respiration

The process by which animals breathe in, use Oxygen from the air, and exhale CO₂.

Lithosphere

The reservoir made up of the ground and underground up to 60 miles below the Earth's surface.

Biosphere

The reservoir made up of all living things.

Carbon (C)

An element found in all living things.

Hydrosphere

The reservoir made up of all the water on Earth, including in the air, the oceans, rivers, streams, and underground.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

A compound found in the atmosphere that is made up of Carbon and Oxygen.