Arrow F in the given diagram represents the process of respiration in the carbon cycle. During respiration, living organisms, such as plants and animals, release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Matter is conserved during the process of respiration because although carbon is being released into the atmosphere, it is not being created or destroyed. The carbon dioxide that is produced during respiration is simply a rearrangement of the carbon atoms that were already present in the organic molecules consumed by the organisms. Therefore, the total amount of carbon in the cycle remains the same.
Respiration is considered a recycling process in the carbon cycle because the carbon dioxide released during respiration can be taken up by plants during photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, plants use carbon dioxide, along with sunlight and water, to produce glucose and release oxygen. This glucose is then used as a source of energy by the plant or stored as starch. The carbon from the glucose is then incorporated into the plant's tissues.
In summary, arrow F represents the process of respiration in the carbon cycle. Matter is conserved during this process as carbon is rearranged but not created or destroyed. Respiration is a recycling process because the carbon dioxide released can be taken up by plants during photosynthesis, completing the cycle.