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The Phosphorus Cycle Karen Atkins Kira Bartholomew Joanna Jao Lauren Kim APES, Period 6 3 Parts of Cycle: 1.) Reservoirs 2.) Assimilation 3.) Release Reservoirs • Erosion transfers phosphorus to water and soil • Sediments and rocks on ocean floors return to the surface as a result of natural uplifting Assimilation • Plants absorb inorganic phosphate from soils. • Animals obtain organic phosphorus when they eat plants for other animals. Release • Dead plants and animals release phosphorus when they decompose. • Animals excrete phosphate in their waste products. Key Terms ATP (Adenine Triphosphate): Transfers energy from chemical bonds Respiration: Process by which cells use oxygen to burn sugar for fuel Key Terms Biomass: Amount of living matter in a given habitat Uplift (in geology): The rise or upheaval of portions of the earth’s surface Amount of Compound Atmosphere: None, because phosphorus rarely occurs in a gaseous state. Lithosphere: 0.1% phosphorus Hydrosphere: None Biosphere: None Ecological Importance • Phosphorus enters the environment when industries use it to make other chemicals and when the army uses it as ammunition • Increasing phosphorus concentrations in surface waters raise the growth of phosphate-dependent organisms Biological Importance • Essential component of DNA, RNA, and ATP • Found in cell membranes as phospholipids • Limiting nutrient in the growth of autotrophs Works Cited • http://cheese.about.com/b/a/0 00029.htm • http://www.princeton.edu/~chm3 33/2002/spring/Biochemical/p hosphorus/phosphorus_cycle.htm
