LIFESCI 1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 25: Carbon Cycle, Northern Hemisphere, Hans Suess
Document Summary
American chemist charles david keeling began to monitor the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere by geological inputs (volcanoes and mid-ocean ridges), biological inputs (especially respiration) and human activities (including deforestation and burning of fossil fuels) Co2 is removed by geological removal (chemical weathering) and biological removal (photosynthesis) Photosynthesis and respiration are key processes in short-term carbon cycling. Photosynthetic organisms use energy from the sun to form atp and nadph, which reduce co2 to carbohydrates. Annual photosynthetic removal of co2 equals 25% of the total co2 in the atmosphere. Aerobic respiration can be summarized in the equation: c6h12o6 + 6o2 --> Photosynthesis converted co2 to organic molecules using energy from the sun and respiration harvests the chemical energy stored in organic molecules, releasing co2 and water. Regular oscillation of co2 reflects the seasonality of photosynthesis in the northern. Narrow band around the equator, photosynthesis is seasonal, with higher rates in the summer and lower rates in the winter.
