Question

All living organisms are made up of carbon. The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the atmosphere. According to the diagram, carbon is constantly being exchanged between the plants, animals, oceans and atmosphere. Which of the following provides the BEST explanation about the carbon cycle? A Carbon is removed from the ecosystem through decaying organisms. B Carbon is removed from the ecosystem through respiration. C Carbon enters the ecosystem through photosynthesis. D Carbon enters the ecosystem through respiration.

Answer 1

[C] Carbon enters the ecosystem through photosynthesis.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the carbon cycle, carbon is constantly moving and being recycled between different parts of the ecosystem, including the plants, animals, oceans, and atmosphere.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO2), and water to produce food (glucose) and oxygen. During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into organic compounds, including carbohydrates, which contain carbon. This is how carbon enters the ecosystem. Plants play a crucial role in the carbon cycle as they are the primary producers, meaning they can produce their own food through photosynthesis. By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, plants remove carbon from the ecosystem, incorporating it into their tissues.

Once carbon is present in plants, it can be transferred to other organisms through various processes. Animals consume plants and obtain carbon by eating them. This allows carbon to move through the food chain, from plants to herbivores (plant-eating animals) and then to carnivores (meat-eating animals). When plants and animals respire, they release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, but overall, the carbon that enters the ecosystem through photosynthesis exceeds the amount released through respiration.