One of the most important and often overlooked functions of your body is how it rids itself from the waste your digestive system produces. Whether you eat plant- or meat-based foods, your intestines will produce a certain percentage of waste that your body needs to eliminate. This waste, known as feces, contains water and organic matter broken down by certain bacteria and fungi in the intestines into carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane. These gases exit the body by passing through the large intestine and into the large cecum—a large, muscular organ that connects the small intestine to the large intestine.
What Is A Biogeochemical Cycle?
A biogeochemical cycle occurs when matter travels between reservoirs or is transformed within reservoirs. The human body is a complex system made up of many different elements. All matter is made up of various combinations of atoms, and atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, which make up the nuclei of atoms. The electrons of the atoms move around the nuclei of atoms. The protons and neutrons also move around, but in very different ways. The movement of these particles around the nuclei of atoms creates electromagnetic and chemical energy, and this energy is used in chemical processes by living things.
What Are The 4 Biogeochemical Cycles?
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is the global movement of carbon through the Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon is also found in living organisms, such as plants and animals. The carbon cycle consists of a series of chemical and physical processes through which carbon is stored, released, and recycled. This process includes photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. The carbon cycle helps maintain a balance of carbon on Earth, which helps regulate global temperatures.
Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biological process by which nitrogen is transferred from soil to plants and animals in a natural cycle. This cycle begins with the nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, which plants then absorb. The plants incorporate nitrogen into their cells and release it back into the soil. Animals then consume the plants, releasing gaseous nitrogen into the environment. This gaseous nitrogen returns to the atmosphere and is re-absorbed, completing the cycle.
Phosphorus Cycle
The Phosphorus Cycle is the element’s means of cycling through Earth’s various environments. Every rock contains small amounts of the element, but phosphate (a compound of phosphorus) is rare. The phosphorus cycle refers to moving phosphorus between rocks, the ocean, plants, and soil.
Sulfur Cycle
The sulfur cycle is an important biogeochemical cycle that describes sulfur cycling between the atmosphere, oceans, and continents. The cycle is driven by chemical reactions between sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO2), and water, which release oxygen and sulfur, respectively. The sulfur then falls to Earth’s crust and reacts with water, producing sulfates, which are transported back to the atmosphere by the rain.
How Are Humans Part Of The Biogeochemical Cycle?
Every living thing on Earth is part of Earth’s biogeochemical cycle, also known as the carbon cycle. This cycle plays a role in all living things on the planet, breathing and decomposing organisms helping release carbon into Earth’s gas phase, where plants and living creatures can absorb it. The cycle starts with carbon itself, which occurs naturally and is abundant in the atmosphere. Carbon-containing molecules such as carbon dioxide and methane also occur naturally and are released when plants and other organisms die.
Humans aren’t the only species on Earth that plays a role in the biogeochemical cycle. The cycle is a well-accepted theory about how our planet works. Humans are part of the cycle simply due to the fact that we breathe, eat, and excrete waste. Our activities impact the amount of carbon, nitrogen, and water in the environment, which in turn impacts the cycle.