Final answer:
The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon between the oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving living organisms and abiotic components of the Earth. Key points include carbon storage in various reservoirs and the impact of human activities on the cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
This cycle allows carbon to interact both within living organisms and the abiotic environment. Notably, carbon is stored in carbon reservoirs, and these reservoirs include the atmosphere, bodies of water such as oceans, ocean sediment, soil, rocks—including fossil fuels—and the Earth's interior.
The importance of the carbon cycle is underscored by the fact that carbon from the atmosphere, as carbon dioxide, is integral to life on Earth. It enters food webs through photosynthesis, providing energy to living organisms, and is then released back into the atmosphere through cellular respiration and decomposition.