Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Carbon Cycling
- 1. Carbon Fixation
- Autotrophs convert
carbon dioxide into
carbohydrates and other
carbon compounds
- Autotrophs absorb carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere and convert it
into: Carbohydrates, Lipids and other
organic compounds
- This reduces the carbon
dioxide concentration in
the atmosphere
- The mean CO2
concentration is currently
0.039% in the atmosphere
- This is different in areas
with higher rates of
photosynthesis
- 2. Carbon Dioxide in
Solution
- In aquatic habitats carbon
dioxide is present as a dissolved
gas and hyrdogen carbonate ions
- Carbon dioxide is soluble in water
- It can remain as a dissolved
gas or combine with water
to form carbonic acid
- It can dissociate to form
hydrogen and hydrogen
carbonate ions
- Lowering the pH of the water
- Both dissolved carbon dioxide and
hydrogen carbonate ions are
absorbed by aquatic plants and
other autotrophs in water
- 3. Absorption of Carbon Dioxde
- Carbon dioxide diffuses from the
atmosphere into autotrophs
- Autotrophs use carbon dioxide in
production of carbon compounds
seen through photosynthesis
- This reduces the CO2
concentration in autotrophs
and sets up a concentration
gradient
- This gradient is between the cell
and air or water surrounding it
- Carbon dioxide diffuses from
atmosphere or H2O into autotrophs
- In land plants with leaves diffusion occurs
through the stomata on the underside of the leaf
- In aquatic plants the
entire surface of leaves
and stems are
permeable to CO2
- Diffusion can occur in any part of aquatic plants
- 4. Release of Carbon Dioxide
form Cellular Respiration
- Carbon Dioxide is
produced by respiration
and diffuses out of
organisms into water or
the atmosphere
- Carbon Dioxide is a waste
product of respiration (Aerobic)
- It is produced in all cells that carry out respiration
- This can be grouped by tropic levels:
Animal cells, Non-photosynthetic cells in
plants and Saprotrophs
- Carbon dioxide produced by
respiration diffuses out of cells and
passes into the atmosphere or water
surrounding the organism
- 5. Methanogenesis
- Methane is produced from organic matter in
anaerobic conditions by methanogenic archaens
- Some methane diffuses into the atmosphere
- The volta collected bubbles of gas
emerging from mud in a reed bed on
the margins of lake maggiore Italy
- The gas was inflammable
- Volta had discovered
methane but did not name it
- It is produced in anaerobic
environments, it is a waste product of
a type of anaerobic respiration
- 3 groups of anaerobic prokaryotes are involved
- Bacteria that converts organic
matter into a mixture of organic
acids, alcohol, hydrogen and CO2
- Bacteria that use the organic acids
and alcohol to produce acetate,
carbon dioxide and hydrogen
- Archaens that produce methane
from carbon dioxide, hydrogen and
acetate by 2 chemical reactions
- CO2 + 4H2----> CH4 +2H2O
- CH3COOH---->CH4+CO2
- Carry out methanogenesis in anaerobic
environments including: Mud along river beds,
Swamps, guts of dead animal matter etc
- Some of the methane is diffused into the
atmosphere thus it cannot escape and is burned as
fuel