Carbon Cycle - Free Printable

- Carbon is a nonmetal element essential for all living organisms, forming the basic building block of life.
- It exists in various forms such as diamond, graphite, and impure forms like charcoal, soot, and coal.
- Carbon makes up about 18% of human body weight and is crucial for energy production, found in carbohydrates, sugars, DNA, and other organic compounds.
- Plants, algae, and some bacteria use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and sunlight into food, which then provides energy to animals and humans through consumption.
- The carbon cycle describes how carbon moves between the atmosphere, living organisms, oceans, and Earth’s crust through processes like photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion.
- Major carbon sources that release carbon into the atmosphere include volcanic eruptions, burning of fossil fuels, animal respiration, decayed dead matter, warm water bodies, and other natural processes.