SvS Biology 2000 - Web cycles
Nutrient Cycles
There are many minerals and elements that are the building blocks for all life. These include carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, water, sulfur, phosphorus and other minerals. In an ecosystem, these minerals and elements flow from one form to another as they are used by living organisms and then recycled for use again.
In these cycles, these elements and minerals are in the atmosphere, in the ocean or in the soil and rocks. These nutrients are also absorbed and used by organisms in the processes of metabolism and respiration to form the complex organic molecules needed for life. This flow or movement of these elements and minerals is called the nutrient cycle and it is nature's way of using and re-using the earth's natural resources to support life.
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S. van Strien