A biogeochemical cycle is a process through which water or a chemical element is continuously recycled. The process of recycling involves both living and non living organisms. In the case of water, it is the organisms that recycle the water. For example, the bacteria that live on the surface of the ocean convert carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into hydrogen (H 2 ).
The hydrogen is then used to make oxygen (O 2 ), which in turn is used by plants and animals to produce energy (photosynthesis).
This process is referred to as the carbon cycle, and is responsible for the production of all the oxygen that we breathe, as well as many other essential elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, bromine, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, chromium, silicon, molybdenum, selenium and many others. In addition to these elements, water also contains trace amounts of other elements that are essential for life.
These elements are called trace elements because they are present in very small amounts, but can have a significant impact on our health and well-being.
Table of Contents
What is water cycle in biology?
The continuous circulation of water in the Earth–atmosphere system is referred to as the water cycle. The most important processes in the water cycle are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. The water cycle begins and ends with precipitation. Rainfall is the process by which water evaporates from the atmosphere and falls on the ground as rain.
Rainfall occurs when the temperature of the air is above the freezing point, or the point at which liquid water freezes into a solid. In the United States, rainfall is measured in millimeters (mm) of rain, which is equal to the weight of one pound per square meter of surface area.
The total amount of precipitation that falls in any given year is called the total annual precipitation (TAC) and is calculated by multiplying the TAC by the number of days in that year. This total precipitation is then divided by 100 to get the annual average rainfall (AAR) for a given location.
What is the water cycle and how does it influence living things?
The availability of water for all living organisms is dependent on the water cycle, which regulates weather patterns on our planet. We would run out of water in a matter of days if water didn’t naturally recycle itself. The process of recycling water is called evapotranspiration, and it occurs when water evaporates from the surface of the Earth‘s surface and condenses into droplets on the ocean floor.
The water then falls to the sea floor, where it is carried away by winds and currents. In the process, the water molecules are broken down into their constituent hydrogen and oxygen atoms, which are then re-combined to form fresh water. This process takes place in the oceans, lakes, rivers and aquifers, as well as on land. Evaporation is the main source of freshwater for the world’s population, but it’s also a major contributor to global climate change.
What is the role of animals in the water cycle?
Breathing, perspiration, and excretion of waste are some of the things animals do to contribute to the water cycle. Water is released into the atmosphere when animals urinate and defecate. They also excrete water through their feces and urine. The amount of water that animals produce is directly related to their body size. Smaller animals, such as fish and amphibians, produce less water than larger animals. For example, a small frog can produce as much water as a large crocodile.
Water is also used by plants and animals to regulate their growth and reproduction. Plants use water for photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water into sugars and other organic compounds. Water also plays a role in the growth of animals and plants, as well as in regulating the temperature of the environment.
What organism contributes the most to the water cycle?
Plants are the most important contributors to the water cycle. Plants use sunlight to convert it into chemical energy in the process of releasing water into the atmosphere. The water that plants use to grow is called water vapour, and it is a major component of the air we breathe.
The amount of water in our atmosphere is directly related to how much sunlight the Earth receives from the Sun. As a result, the more sunlight that reaches the surface of our planet the less water is available to plants to use as a source of food and water. This is known as the greenhouse effect.
What is a water cycle in physics?
When the warm, moist air rises in the atmosphere, it cools and turns into a liquid to form water droplets. Water droplets in the air condense on small particles.
When the cold, dry air descends from the upper atmosphere into the lower atmosphere where it meets the colder, drier air at the bottom of the troposphere (the layer of air between the Earth‘s surface and the stratosphere), it condenses again, this time forming a cloud.
The cloud is called a cumulonimbus cloud because it is made up of cumulus clouds, a type of cloud formed by the condensation of water vapor.
How does water cycle affect the living and non living things?
The water moves through living organisms. Water moves through the living organisms. Water is not included in the definition of “water” because they do not move water through a living organisms. The water in a pond is not considered to be water because it does not flow through an organism to move it. The pond water is still water, but not water.
How do living things contribute to the water cycle quizlet?
Animals lose water when they sweat and urinate. Adding water vapor to the atmosphere is what evaporated these. Water is produced and water is condenses on the surface of the skin when animals respire. This is called evaporation. Humans also sweat, but we do not sweat as much as animals do.
The sweat glands on our skin produce a substance called arginine, which is used as a source of energy for the body. Humans also urinate through the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder into the rectum), but this is not as common as it is in animals.
What is the most important part of the water cycle?
The sun and water are the most important parts of the solar system. It is the primary source of energy for all life on Earth, and it is also responsible for the formation of all the other planets and moons in the Solar System. The Sun is a giant ball of gas and dust that orbits the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, at a distance of approximately 4.3 billion kilometers (2.5 billion miles) from the Earth.
This means that the Sun has a diameter of about 1,500,000 kilometers, or 1.2 million miles, which is about the same as the distance between Earth and the Moon. As a result of this distance, it takes about 2.7 billion years for light to travel from Earth to the sun. During this time, there is no direct sunlight to be seen from any point on the surface of any planet or moon.
Instead, sunlight is scattered by the atmosphere and reflected back into space, where it heats up and is absorbed by water molecules and other molecules. These molecules, in turn, react with oxygen and nitrogen to form water vapor and carbon dioxide. Water vapor condenses into clouds and rain, while CO 2 and H 2 O are released into the air as greenhouse gases.
How does water circulate between air oceans and living things?
Water circulates through the Earth‘s subsystems through a number of processes. Water can be found in soils, vegetation, and bodies of water. The returning water falls directly into the ocean or onto land where it is used by plants, animals and humans. In addition to evapotranspiration, water is also returned to the atmosphere through precipitation and snowmelt. The amount of precipitation varies from year to year, depending on the amount and type of vegetation in the area.
In the United States, for example, the average annual precipitation is about 1.5 inches (3.2 centimeters) of rain, while the annual snowfall is less than 0.1 inch (0.4 millimeters). In other parts of the world, such as Asia, Africa and South America, precipitation totals are much higher, with annual totals of more than 10 inches of rainfall, and even more in some areas.
How does water enter the water cycle?
The sun’s rays cause water on the surface to evaporate into a gas called water vapor. When the air is cold, the invisible vapor rises into the atmosphere, where it condenses into clouds. These clouds are moving all around the earth. That is one path water can take to get to the ocean. But there’s more to it than that.
Water vapor is a greenhouse gas, which means it traps more heat than it would if it were a liquid. The more water there is, the hotter it gets. And that’s why the oceans absorb so much of the extra heat that would otherwise escape into space.
Where does the water cycle begin?
There isn’t a starting point for the water cycle. Most of Earth‘s water can be found in the oceans. The water in the oceans is heated by the sun. The water condenses on the surface of the ocean and forms clouds. Clouds are made up of water droplets suspended in air. When the sun hits the clouds, it heats them up, causing them to condense. This process is called evapotranspiration.
Evaporation is the process by which water is removed from the atmosphere and replaced by carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. It traps heat and prevents the Earth from warming as much as it would if the greenhouse effect were not in effect.
In the absence of greenhouse gases, Earth would warm by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the course of a year, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). This warming would be enough to raise global sea levels by more than 100 feet (30 meters) by the end of this century, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates.
