Summary of The Carbon Cycle 3D Animation

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The Carbon Cycle is the process in which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, land, water, and organisms. The video explains how this process works in terms of the Earth's biosphere.

• 00:00:00 The video explains how the Earth's biosphere is an open system in terms of energy, while the Earth's biosphere is primarily a closed system in terms of water, minerals, and nutrients. The biosphere is constantly bombarded by energy from the Sun, which is used to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into glucose. This process is called photosynthesis. When sunlight strikes a leaf, the energy in the sunlight is captured and used to convert six molecules of carbon dioxide gas into six carbon sugar molecules. This process is called photosynthesis. Glucose then can be stored as starch or used to make other molecules, like cellulose, which forms the cell wall of plant cells and contributes to the biomass of the plant. When the log or other portion of a tree is burned, the stored glucose is converted back to carbon dioxide gas, which is released into the atmosphere. Animals are not autotrophs, but heterotrophs, because they need to consume other organisms in order to obtain energy and molecules necessary for growth. When glucose is consumed, it contains carbon that the plant converted from carbon dioxide gas during photosynthesis. The process of converting glucose to energy is called oxidative respiration, and it uses oxygen to break down glucose molecules. Ultimately, this process
• 00:05:00 This video provides an overview of the carbon cycle, which is a balance of carbon stores in the atmosphere, in the bodies of living organisms, and buried in the ground as fossil fuels. This cycle allows organisms to live on Earth and participate in the carbon cycle.