KOMPAS.com – Carbon is the element that underlies the body of all living things. Therefore, the availability carbon it is very important. Carbon continues to be prepared and deformed in carbon cycle or daur carbon.
Daur carbon are biogeochemical cycles that have existed on earth for millions of years. How does the carbon cycle occur? Here is the explanation!
Photosynthesis
The first stage of the carbon cycle is photosynthesis which is carried out by autotrophic organisms such as plants, algae, phytoplankton and bacteria.
Reported from Khan AcademyAutotrophic organisms absorb carbon from the air in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) or from water in the form of bicarbonate ions (HCO3-).
Read also: Why the Nitrogen Cycle is Important in Life
Autotrophs then carry out photosynthesis with the sun’s energy source and convert carbon into sugar (C6H12O6). The sugar will become food for plants and build the whole body of autotrophic organisms.
Carbon moves from autotrophs to heterotrophs
tahapan daur karbon The next step is the transfer of carbon from autotrophs to heterotrophs through the food chain.
Autotrophs are at the bottom of the food chain and are consumed by other living things. Other living things such as animals and humans then get carbon through eating.
The carbon is then used to build body tissues and maintain physiological functions.
Read also: Chemistry UAS Questions: Uses of the Element Carbon-14
Respiration
The stages of the carbon cycle also occur in the process of respiration or respiration of living things. Living things breathe by inhaling oxygen and circulating it throughout the cells of the body.
In cellular respiration, carbon molecules are released after receiving oxygen. Thus, living things exhale carbon dioxide during respiration. At this time, the carbon that was in the body returns to the atmosphere.
Decomposition
The next stage of the carbon cycle is the decomposition process or the process of breaking down the remains of living things. The remains of living things can be in the form of bodies of dead organisms, withered plants, as well as excrement of living things.
The decomposition process will decompose the remains of these organic substances into simpler forms, including carbon. At this stage too, carbon from living things is released into the soil as well as the air.
Read also: Difference Between Photosynthesis and Chemosynthesis
Not only when it decomposes, carbon in the body of living things can also return to the atmosphere through the combustion process.
Burning fossil energy sources
Fossil energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas are formed from carbon. Humans use fossil energy sources through combustion.
Burning fossil energy sources will release carbon dioxide gas. This means that the carbon contained in fossil fuels is released back into the atmosphere.
The carbon that returns to the atmosphere and soil can then be used again for photosynthesis and it all repeats itself tahapan daur karbon.
Read also: Difference Between Photosynthesis and Respiration
In short, carbon is consumed throughout the life of an organism. However, it is returned to nature after the organism dies. Thus, carbon can be reused by other organisms and sustain life on earth.
The above stages are called the biological carbon cycle and plants and other autotrophic organisms play a key role in this cycle.
Reported from NASA Earth Observatory, in the biological carbon cycle it is estimated that about 1,000 to 100,000 million metric tons of carbon move annually. This makes the biological carbon cycle a rapidly occurring carbon cycle.
Get updates news of choice and breaking news every day from Kompas.com. Let’s join the Telegram group “Kompas.com News Update”, how to click the link https://t.me/kompascomupdate, then join. You must first install the Telegram application on your cellphone.–
