Nitrogen Cycle
Presenter:
__________________
___ Nitrogen Fixation:
___ Atmosphere – 78% Nitrogen, N2
___ Lightning – atmospheric fixation
___ Precipitation – dissolves Nitrogen compounds, NOx created;
returns to earth
___ Soil –
___ Symbiotic bacteria – in plant roots
___ Legumes – beans, peas, alfalfa, corn, etc
___ Nitrogen, N2 → (changed to) Nitrites, NO2- or Nitrates, NO3___ Some N2 → Ammonia, NH4+ then→ NOx (Nitrogen compounds)
___ Assimilation
___ Plant roots take up NO3- or NH4+
___ Used to make amino acids
___ Used to make carbohydrates like glucose
___ Animals eat plants to get needed nitrogen
___ Used to make proteins
___ Ammonification
___ Animal waste products
___ Micro-organisms – like bacteria and/or fungi break down NH4+
___ Plants and/or Animals die & decay
___ Release organic nitrogen into soil
___ Nitrification
___ Ammonia, NH4+ - broken down by nitrifying bacteria
___ Bacteria make Nitrites, NO2___ Bacteria make Nitrates, NO3___ Denitrification
___ Bacteria convert Nitrites, NO2- and Nitrates, NO3- back to Nitrogen
gas, N2
_____
Total points (checks)
A – 26 – 22
B – 21 – 18
C – 17 – 13
D – 12 – 8
Carbon Cycle
Presenter: __________________
___ Carbon makes up Life, organic/biotic matter
___ Atmosphere – contains Carbon Dioxide, CO2
___ Plants’ leaves take in/absorbs CO2
___ Plants perform Photosynthesis
___ Photosynthesis – plants take in water and CO2 use the sun’s energy to
convert to carbohydrates/glucose and release Oxygen, O2
___ Autotrophs – convert CO2 from air to organic compounds
___ Living Organisms/consumers
___ Large area of producers store excess Carbon for long period of time
___ Eat/consume plants to get carbohydrates
___ Respire/respiration returns CO2 to atmosphere
___ Heterotrophs consume plants to return CO2 to air
___ Dead organisms release Carbon, C into ground
___ Stored as biomass in roots of trees
___ Stored in Sedimentary rocks, such as limestone
___ Long term storage becomes fossil fuels
___ Organic matter becomes humus, used by plants
___ Nonliving/Abiotic
___ Forest fire, lightning strike, not manmade; releases Carbon stored in
plants/trees
___ Volcanic eruptions can release deeply buried carbon into atmosphere
___ Ocean water – absorbs and stores carbon dioxide
___ Causes water to become acidic
___ forms Carbonic acid, HCO3
___ Carbonate, CO23- or bicarbonate ions, HCO3- are released into
atmosphere as sun’s energy converts them
___ Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3 in water is used by corals and oysters for
shells
_____ Total points (checks)
A – 22 – 18
B – 17 – 11
C – 10 – 8
D – 7 – 5
Phosphorus Cycle
Presenter: ________________
___ No Atmospheric cycle
___ Essential nutrient for plants and animals
___ Found in Soil and Rocks,
___ as a phosphate ion, (PO4)3___ Weathering – erosion from wind and/or water
___ release phosphorus, P,
___ in water, because soluble
___ in the soil, P is taken up by the plants roots
___ transformed into organic compounds
___ eaten by herbivores
___ Plants and Animals die
___ Decay releases P into soil
___ transformed into insoluble compounds
___ water causes P to runoff into waterways; streams, creeks, lakes, ponds,
ocean, etc.
___ Living/Biotic organisms need P
___ PO4 is used to make nucleotides
___ energy storage within the ATP of the cells
___ form nucleic acids – DNA/RNA
___ responsible for cell development
___ form biomolecules for Bones, Teeth, Exoskeletons, Phospholipid (membranes
of cells), responsible for Homeostasis
___ Calcium Phosphate, Ca3(PO4)2 is the compound used
___ Nonliving/Abiotic
___ Mineral Ca5(PO4)3OH called Apatite
___ Precipitation – causes leaching and erosion
___ Dissolution called Carbonation; releases into soil
___ Plants and Fungi breakdown
___ Absorbed by Iron Oxides, Fe2O3, Aluminum Hydroxides, Al(OH)3, clay
surfaces and organic matter
_____ Total points (checks)
A – 25 – 20
B – 19 – 15
C – 14 – 11
D – 10 – 6
Water Cycle
Presenter:
__________________
___ Also called the Hydrologic Cycle
___ Has four main stages:
___ Evaporation
___ Sun’s energy causes water to change from liquid to gas
___ physical change from liquid to gas
___ Occurs in plants
___ called Transpiration
___ Occurs in animals
___ called Perspiration
___ Condensation
___ As water molecules lose energy change from gas to liquid
___ Molecules collide with dust particles in atmosphere to form
clouds
___ Water molecules collect together form clouds
___ Water molecules stick together because of cohesive and
adhesive forces between the molecules
___ Precipitation
___ As molecules continue to collect, gravity cannot support the weight
and the liquid water falls back to earth
___ Falls to earth in forms of Snow, Sleet, Freezing rain, Rain, Hail,
etc.
___ Atmospheric temperatures determine the type of precipitation
___ Majority of precipitation falls in the oceans and surface water
___ Landing on Land (where does precipitation go)
___ Runoff
___ Ground too dry OR too wet – water flows over ground and flows
into stream, ponds, lakes, etc.
___ Used by Plants and Animals
___ Infiltration
___ Water penetrates soil, percolates down into underground water
storage area
___ Called aquifer
___ Used by Plants and Animals
_____ Total Points (checks)
A – 27 – 19
B – 18 – 14
C – 13 – 10
D – 9 - 6