BSC 310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 53: Hydrogen Sulfide, Phosphorus Cycle, Sulfur Cycle
Document Summary
In addition to being a site for the nitrogen cycle, the soil is the environment in which several other biogeochemical cycles take place. Among these are the cycles of phosphorus, sulfur, carbon, and oxygen. Living things use phosphorus compounds in the synthesis of nucleotides, phospholipids, and phosphorylated proteins. Phosphorus enters the soil and water as phosphate ions, such as calcium phosphate, during the breakdown of crops, decaying garbage, leaf litter, and other sources. In the phosphorus cycle, microorganisms use phosphorus in the form of calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, and iron phosphate. They release the phosphorus from these complexes and assimilate the phosphorus as the phosphate ion (po4). This ion is incorporated into dna, rna, and other organic compounds using phosphate, including phospholipids. When the organisms are used as foods by larger organisms, the phosphorus enters and is concentrated in the food chain.
