Cycle vocabulary

Question 1

Atmosphere:

Answer 1

The gas, (The air) surrounding the earth . 78% of the atmosphere is made up of Nitrogen or N2, this is an unusable form for most organisms.

Question 2

Nitrogen:

Answer 2

An element that all living organisms require, (DNA, proteins, chlorophyll) however, cannot be used in the form that surrounds the Earth

Question 3

NItrogen fixation:

Answer 3

The process of converting N2, unusable nitrogen, into biologically available nitrogen.

Question 4

Nitrification:

Answer 4

There are two steps to nitrification. The first step is microbes change ammonia to nitrites (an unusable form of nitrogen for plants).The second step is is to change the nitrites into nitrates (a useable form of nitrogen for plants).

Question 5

Ammonification:

Answer 5

When an organism dies or excretes waste, the nitrogen is found in the amino acids or DNA. Fungi break down the nitrogen and release the nitrogen back into the ecosystem.

Question 6

Denitrification

Answer 6

The process that changes the nitrates into nitrogen gas (N2), back into an unusable form.

Question 7

Carbon reservoir

Answer 7

a part of Earth that stores carbon.
Examples of carbon reservoirs include the atmosphere, the ocean, soils, sediments, and the biosphere.

Question 8

Carbon sink:

Answer 8

a carbon reservoir that absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and stores it for a long period of time.

Question 9

Photosynthesis:

Answer 9

a process in which plants use energy from light to change carbon dioxide and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen.