What are the key processes in the phosphorus cycle?
Identify which compounds are involved in each process.
The key processes in the phosphorus cycle include:
1. Weathering: The process of weathering breaks down rocks and releases phosphorus into the soil as phosphate ions (PO43-).
2. Absorption: Plants absorb phosphate ions from the soil through their roots and incorporate them into their biological structures, such as DNA, RNA, and ATP.
3. Consumption: Animals obtain phosphorus by consuming plants or other animals that have absorbed phosphorus. Phosphorus becomes incorporated into their body tissues.
4. Decomposition: When plants and animals die, their organic matter is broken down by decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi. During this process, organic phosphorus compounds are converted into inorganic phosphate ions, which are released back into the soil.
5. Erosion: Phosphate ions can be washed away from the soil by rainwater and transported to bodies of water through erosion.
6. Sedimentation: In bodies of water, phosphate ions can combine with calcium and other minerals to form insoluble compounds, such as calcium phosphate. These compounds settle to the bottom of the water bodies and form sediment over time.
7. Geological Uplift: Over long periods, geological forces can lift the sedimented phosphate compounds back to the surface, where they may eventually weather and release phosphorus into the soil again.
Overall, phosphate compounds, specifically phosphate ions (PO43-), are involved in all of these processes within the phosphorus cycle.