WHAT IS THE ROLE OF MICRO-ORGANISMS IN CARBON CYCLE? WHAT ARE MICRO-ORGANISMS? WHAT IS CARBON CYCLE? PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

1. THE ROLE OF MICRO-
ORGANISIMS IN CARBON
CYCLE
BY WALLACE MUKOKA

2. • MICROBES LIVE ALMOST EVERYWHERE ON EARTH INCLUDING WITHIN AND
ON OTHER LIVING ORGANISMS. MANY FUNGI AND BACTERIA ARE
ESSENTIAL FOR CYCLING NUTRIENTS IN ECOSYSTEM AND FOR ACTING AS
DECOMPOSERS, BREAKING DOWN DEAD ORGANISMS AND THE WASTE OF
LIVING THINGS. MICROBES PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN BIO-GEOCHEMICALS
CYCLES SUCH AS THE NITROGEN CYCLE, SULPHUR CYCLE AND THE CARDON
CYCLE.

3. • MICRO-ORGANISMS ARE MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS, WHICH MAY EXIST IN ITS
SINGLE-CELLED FORM OR IN A COLONY OF CELLS FOR EXAMPLES FUNGI,
BACTERIA, ALGAE, PROTOZOA, ARCHAEA.
• BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE IS THE FLOW OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND
COMPOUNDS BETWEEN LIVING ORGANISMS AND THE PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT.
• CHEMICALS ABSORBED OR INGESTED BY ORGANISMS ARE PASSED THROUGH
THE FOOD CHAIN AND RETURNED TO THE SOIL, AIR, AND WATER BY SUCH
MECHANISMS AS RESPIRATION, EXCRETION, AND DECOMPOSITION.

4. CARBON CYCLE
• THE CARBON CYCLE IS THE SERIES OF PROCESSES BY WHICH
CARBON FROM THE ENVIRONMENT IS INCORPORATED INTO
LIVING ORGANISMS AND RETURNED TO THE ATMOSPHERE AS
CARBON DIOXIDE.
• CARBON IS CIRCULATED AS ONE OF THREE FORMS, CARBON
DIOXIDE, METHANE AND ORGANIC COMPOUNDS.

5. BACTERIA AND ALGAE
[PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION]
• PLANTS AND PHYTOPLANKTON (MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS IN THE OCEAN)
AND PLANTS TAKE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE BY
ABSORBING IT INTO THEIR CELLS.
• THEY USE ENERGY FROM THE SUN, BOTH PLANTS AND PLANKTON COMBINE
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) AND WATER TO FORM SUGAR (CH2O) AND OXYGEN.
• THE CHEMICAL REACTION LOOKS LIKE THIS:
• CO2 + H2O + ENERGY = CH2O + O2

6. • PLANTS BREAK DOWN THE SUGAR TO GET THE ENERGY THEY NEED TO
GROW. ANIMALS (INCLUDING PEOPLE) EAT THE PLANTS OR PLANKTON, AND
BREAK DOWN THE PLANT SUGAR TO GET ENERGY.
• PLANTS AND PLANKTON DIE AND DECAY (ARE EATEN BY BACTERIA)
• THEN OXYGEN COMBINES WITH SUGAR TO RELEASE WATER, CARBON
DIOXIDE, AND ENERGY. THE BASIC CHEMICAL REACTION LOOKS LIKE THIS:
• CH2O + O2 = CO2 + H2O + ENERGY

7. THIS DIAGRAM OF THE FAST CARBON CYCLE SHOWS THE MOVEMENT OF CARBON BETWEEN
LAND, ATMOSPHERE, AND OCEANS. YELLOW NUMBERS ARE NATURAL FLUXES, AND RED ARE
HUMAN CONTRIBUTIONS IN GIGATONS OF CARBON. WHITE NUMBERS INDICATE STORED
CARBON.

8. •THANK YOU
•BY WALLACE
MUKOKA