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This lesson covers the carbon cycle as required by the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification (1SC0). You need to describe how carbon is recycled through ecosystems, explain the roles of photosynthesis, respiration, combustion and decomposition in the carbon cycle, and understand the concept of carbon sinks.
Carbon is an essential element for life. It is found in:
Carbon atoms are constantly being recycled between the living (biotic) world and the non-living (abiotic) environment. The carbon cycle shows how this happens.
graph TD
A["CO₂ in the atmosphere"] -->|"Photosynthesis"| B["Carbon in plants (glucose, starch)"]
B -->|"Feeding"| C["Carbon in animals"]
B -->|"Respiration"| A
C -->|"Respiration"| A
B -->|"Death"| D["Dead organic matter"]
C -->|"Death / waste"| D
D -->|"Decomposition (respiration by decomposers)"| A
D -->|"Fossilisation over millions of years"| E["Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)"]
E -->|"Combustion"| A
A -->|"Dissolves in oceans"| F["CO₂ dissolved in water"]
F -->|"Used by aquatic plants / algae"| B
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