What is the Carbon cycle ?

If it was not for the carbon cycle we wouldn’t be alive. A cycle is something that is a continuous process that has not got a beginning  or a end and it never stops.There are many different cycles like: life cycles of animals, the water cycle and of course the carbon cycle.

Carbon is a natural chemical that can be found in the air, sea and plants. When wood rots or burns the carbon dioxide that is gathered in the wood gets released into the air. The burning of fossil fuels while driving cars and making electricity also releases lots of carbon dioxide. Humans and animals, (no matter what kind ) also add carbon dioxide to the air because when we breath in oxygen it gets used in our body and we then breath out carbon dioxide.

The Carbon is then stored in the sea, plankton, sea shells and in trees. The trees breath in the carbon dioxide and then turn it into oxygen which we then breath in again, starting the cycle all over again. The trees use sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll (which is in the leaves) and then turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen. This process is called photosynthesis.

Over all carbon is interesting because even though you can not see it, it is always is a part of our life. It is thanks to the carbon cycle we are here today this is because of plants and trees witch turns the carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) back into oxygen so that we never run out of it.

by Carlotta and Kees.