Carbon cycle

Carbon is used repeatedly in a process called the carbon cycle.


According to the diagram,there are 2 parts to the carbon cycle,which are linked to each other. Small part of cycle begins when carbon in the form of the gas,carbon dioxide,is present in the air.Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it for growth.Animals then eat plant food and release carbon in respiration.When plants and animals die,their remains decay in the ground.So we have reached the second part of the cycle.When,over millions of years under the ground,carbon from the decaying remains turns into fossil fuels such as coal,oil and natural gas.These fossil fuels are mined out of the earth and used for industrial needs,such as fueling cars,heating homes.Eventually,the combustion of fuels releases carbon in the form of carbon dioxide into the air.

Thus,the carbon cycle plays important role in the exchange of carbon between living things and their environment.