Phosphorus cycle Flashcards
1
Q
What process(es) dissolve rocks containing phosphorus?
A
erosion/weathering
2
Q
How are phosphate ions used by organisms?
A
to make phospholipids in cell membranes
to make nucleic acids
3
Q
What does erosion convert phosphorus in rocks into?
A
phosphate ions in lakes/oceans/soil
4
Q
How are phosphate ions passed on to consumers?
A
through feeding, digestion and assimilation
5
Q
What breaks down excreted waste from animals, returning phosphate ions to water/soil?
A
saprobionts
6
Q
What 2 processes can act on dead organic matter?
A
sedimentation/deposition and decomposition by saprobionts
7
Q
What can convert dead organic material into rocks?
A
sedimentation
8
Q
What is the role of mycorrhizae in the phosphorous cycle?
A
- fungi extend roots of plants
- increase SA for water and mineral absorption
- can take up ions more readily, especially of the more scarce phosphate ions
9
Q
What relationship do mycorrhizae have with plants?
A
mutualistic
