Final answer:
Decomposition is the breakdown of dead matter and wastes into simple compounds for recycling into living ecosystems, performed by decomposers like bacteria and fungi.
Step-by-step explanation:
The breakdown of dead matter and wastes into simple compounds that can be directed back into the natural cycle of living things is called decomposition. This process is essential to biogeochemical cycles, which involve the recycling of inorganic matter between living organisms and their nonliving environment.
Decomposers, which include bacteria and fungi, play significant roles in biogeochemical cycles by breaking down wastes and dead organisms into smaller molecules. These decomposers use the organic substrates they break down to obtain their energy, carbon, and nutrients necessary for survival.
Through the decomposition process, decomposers release simple inorganic molecules back to the environment, which producers can then use to make new organic compounds. This process is essential for the stability of ecosystems and the recycling of nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen. Catabolism is a related concept, referring to the process by which larger, more complex substances are broken down into smaller, simpler molecules, releasing energy.