Glue This Page Down Into Your Science Notebook
Glue This Page Down Into Your Science Notebook
Glue This Page Down Into Your Science Notebook
Instructions:
Number the paragraphs
1st Read Through: Read article and figure out what the main idea is and summarize the main idea
of article in 2 complete sentences
2nd Read Through: Highlight main ideas from the article, box key terms that relate to the carbon
cycle.
Fill in the Graphic Organizer using your annotated article
Create your reader response using a piece of blank paper
Carbon is an essential element in the bodies of living organisms. It is also economically important to
modern humans, in the form of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is taken up by
photosynthetic organisms and used to make organic molecules, which travel through food chains. In the
end, the carbon atoms are released as carbon dioxide in respiration. Slow geological processes, including
the formation of sedimentary rock and fossil fuels, contribute to the carbon cycle over long timescales.
Some human activities, such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, increase atmospheric carbon
dioxide and affect Earth's climate and oceans.
About 18% of your body consists of carbon atoms, by mass, and those carbon atoms are pretty key to
your existence! Without carbon, you wouldn't have the plasma membranes of your cells, the sugar
molecules you use for fuel, or even the DNA that carries the instructions to build and run your body.
Carbon is part of our bodies, but it's also part of our modern-day industries. Carbon compounds from
long-ago plants and algae make up the fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, that we use today as
energy sources. When
these fossil fuels are
burned, carbon dioxide
is released into the air,
leading to higher and
higher levels of
atmospheric CO2. This
increase in CO2 levels
affects Earth's climate
and is a major
environmental concern
worldwide. Let's take a
look at the carbon cycle
and see how
atmospheric CO2 and
carbon use by living
organisms fit into the
bigger picture of
carbon cycling.
The carbon cycle
The carbon cycle is most easily studied as two interconnected sub cycles: one dealing with rapid carbon
exchange among living organisms and one dealing with long-term cycling of carbon through geologic
processes. Although we will look at them separately, it's important to realize these cycles are linked. For
instance, the same pools of atmospheric and oceanic CO2 that are utilized by organisms are also fed and
depleted by geological processes.
As a brief overview, carbon exists in the air largely as carbon dioxide gas, which dissolves in water and
reacts with water molecules to produce bicarbonate -HCO3−. Photosynthesis by land plants, bacteria, and
algae converts carbon dioxide or bicarbonate into organic molecules. Organic molecules made by
photosynthesizers are passed through food chains, and cellular respiration converts the organic carbon
back into carbon dioxide gas.
Long-term storage of organic carbon occurs when matter from living organisms is buried deep
underground or sinks to the bottom of the ocean and forms sedimentary rock. Volcanic activity and, more
recently, human burning of fossil fuels bring this stored carbon back into the carbon cycle. Although the
formation of fossil fuels happens on a slow, geologic timescale, human release of the carbon they
contain—as CO2 is on a very fast timescale.
Carbon enters all food webs, both terrestrial and aquatic, through autotrophs, or self-feeders. Almost all
of these autotrophs are photosynthesizers, such as plants or algae. Autotrophs capture carbon dioxide
from the air or bicarbonate ions from the water and use them to make organic compounds such as
glucose. Heterotrophs, or other-feeders, such as humans, consume the organic molecules, and the organic
carbon is passed through food chains and webs.
How does carbon cycle back to the atmosphere or ocean? To release the energy stored in carbon-
containing molecules, such as sugars, autotrophs and heterotrophs break these molecules down in a
process called cellular respiration. In this process, the carbons of the molecule are released as carbon
dioxide. Decomposers also release organic compounds and carbon dioxide when they break down dead
organisms and waste products. Carbon can cycle quickly through this biological pathway, especially in
aquatic ecosystems. Overall, an estimated 1,000 to 100,000 million metric tons of carbon move through
the biological pathway each year. For context, a metric ton is about the weight of an elephant or a small
car!
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Supporting Paragraph
Detail/Statement from Reading
Detail Number
5
Vocabulary: (unknown, important, or repeated that relate to the overall idea of the article)
Paragraph
Vocabulary Term Definition
Number
Write two Costa’s questions based on the reading &
the answer.