Nutrient cycle
Nutrient Cycle
The Nutrient Cycle (pronounced: /ˈnjuːtriənt ˈsaɪkəl/), also known as the nutrient loop or recycling of nutrients, refers to the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter. The process is regulated by food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients. Nutrient cycles occur within ecosystems. Ecosystems are interconnected systems where matter and energy flows and is exchanged as organisms feed, grow, reproduce, and die.
Etymology
The term "Nutrient Cycle" is derived from the Latin words 'nutrire' meaning 'to nourish' and 'cyclus' meaning 'a cycle'. It was first used in the context of ecology to describe the way in which nutrients move through an ecosystem.
Types of Nutrient Cycles
There are several types of nutrient cycles, including the water cycle, the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the phosphorus cycle, and the sulfur cycle. Each of these cycles refers to the movement of a particular nutrient in physical and biological forms between the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
Water Cycle
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. The water changes from liquid to gas to ice, and then back again. These changes are called evaporation, condensation, and freezing.
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. It includes the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms. This transformation can be carried out through both biological and physical processes.
Phosphorus Cycle
The phosphorus cycle is the process by which phosphorus moves through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Phosphorus is essential for plant and animal growth, as well as the health of microbes inhabiting the soil, but is gradually depleted from the soil over time.
Sulfur Cycle
The sulfur cycle is the collection of processes by which sulfur moves to and from minerals (including the waterways) and living systems.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Nutrient cycle
- Wikipedia's article - Nutrient cycle
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