Nutrient Cycle Summary

  • Nutrient Cycles Overview

    • Essential for the movement and recycling of key elements for organism growth and survival.
    • Key Examples:
    • Carbon Cycle:
      • Carbon present in all organic compounds, necessary for macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins).
    • Nitrogen Cycle:
      • Vital for amino acids, proteins, and DNA formation.
    • Other Elements:
      • Phosphorus: Essential for bones and DNA.
      • Calcium: Important for bones, shells, and coral skeletons.
      • Magnesium: Crucial for chlorophyll and photosynthesis.

  • Nutrient Movement

    • Transition from abiotic to biotic phase occurs via absorption and assimilation by producers.

  • Biotic Phase (Food Webs/Chains)

    • Nutrients transferred between organisms through feeding.
    • Movement from producers to consumers in food chains.
    • Loss of nutrients occurs via egestion/excretion; some remain as organic compounds until organism's death.
    • Organic compounds include carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

  • Carbohydrates

    • Composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
    • Most abundant biological molecules, used for energy and structure.
    • Monomer Example: Glucose.
    • Polymer Examples:
    • Starch: Energy storage in plants, consists of glucose chains, insoluble for effective storage.
    • Cellulose: Structural support in plant cell walls.

  • Lipids

    • Made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen; may include phosphorus and nitrogen.
    • Most common form: Triglycerides (fats) for energy storage and protection.
    • Formed by three fatty acid chains and a glycerol molecule via ester bonds; hydrophobic properties.

  • Proteins

    • Polymers formed from amino acids; contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur.
    • Constructed from 20 different amino acids via peptide bonds.
    • Function in biological processes: enzymes, hormones, structural components of animals and plants.

  • Amino Acids

    • Joined through condensation to form proteins; structural and functional diversity achieved via specific folding.

  • Abiotic Phase

    • Post-mortem, organisms are decomposed, returning nutrients to their inorganic form.
    • Nutrients can exist as ions, gases, or sediments.
    • Relevant Cycles: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Carbon, Water Cycle - essential for nutrient recycling back to biotic phase.