Textbook Question
Which of the following is the longest-lived reservoir for carbon?
a. Atmospheric CO2
b. Marine plankton (primary producers and consumers)
c. Fossil fuels
d. Wood
Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Biology: The Study of Life13
- Ch. 2 - Water and Carbon: The Chemical Basis of Life14
- Ch.3 - Protein Structure and Function10
- Ch.4 - Nucleic Acids and the RNA World10
- Ch. 5 - An Introduction to Carbohydrates10
- Ch. 6 - Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells11
- Ch. 7 - Inside the Cell10
- Ch. 8 - Energy and Enzymes: An Introduction to Metabolism10
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation11
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis12
- Ch. 11 - Cell-Cell Interactions12
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle8
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis12
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene23
- Ch. 15 - DNA and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair15
- Ch. 16 - How Genes Work16
- Ch. 17 - Transcription, RNA Processing, and Translation16
- Ch. 18 - Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria16
- Ch. 19 - Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes12
- Ch. 20 - The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology, Genomics, and New Frontiers15
- Ch. 21 - Genes, Development, and Evolution12
- Ch. 22 - Evolution by Natural Selection16
- Ch. 23 - Evolutionary Processes13
- Ch. 24 - Speciation15
- Ch. 25 - Phylogenies and the History of Life13
- Ch. 26 - Bacteria and Archaea15
- Ch. 27 - Diversification of Eukaryotes16
- Ch. 28 - Green Algae and Land Plants16
- Ch. 29 - Fungi18
- Ch. 30 - An Introduction to Animals9
- Ch. 31 - Protostome Animals15
- Ch. 32 - Deuterostome Animals17
- Ch. 33 - Viruses16
- Ch. 34 - Plant Form and Function16
- Ch. 35 - Water and Sugar Transport in Plants16
- Ch. 36 - Plant Nutrition13
- Ch. 37 - Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses16
- Ch. 38 - Flowering Plant Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 39 - Animal Form and Function17
- Ch. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals16
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition16
- Ch. 42 - Gas Exchange and Circulation16
- Ch. 43 - Animal Nervous Systems16
- Ch. 44 - Animal Sensory Systems16
- Ch. 45 - Animal Movement11
- Ch. 46 - Chemical Signals in Animals16
- Ch. 47 - Animal Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 48 - The Immune System in Animals16
- Ch. 49 - An Introduction to Ecology15
- Ch. 50 - Behavioral Ecology16
- Ch. 51 - Population Ecology16
- Ch. 52 - Community Ecology20
- Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology17
- Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology18
Chapter 53, Problem 4
In a model of the carbon cycle, how would you label an arrow from the atmosphere to plants?
a. cellular respiration
b. photosynthesis
c. decomposition
d. consumption
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the process by which plants utilize carbon from the atmosphere. This process involves the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic compounds, primarily sugars, using the energy from sunlight.
Recognize that cellular respiration is the process by which organisms break down sugars to produce energy, releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct, which is the opposite of what we are looking for.
Understand that decomposition refers to the breakdown of organic matter into simpler compounds, releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, which is also not the process we are looking for.
Consider that consumption generally refers to one organism eating another, which does not directly involve the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to plants.
Conclude that the correct label for the arrow from the atmosphere to plants in the carbon cycle model is the process that captures atmospheric carbon dioxide and converts it into organic molecules in plants.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy, specifically glucose, using carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water. This process occurs primarily in the chloroplasts of plant cells and is essential for producing the organic compounds that serve as food for the plant and, ultimately, for other organisms in the ecosystem.
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Pigments of Photosynthesis
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms. It involves processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion, which collectively regulate the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and are crucial for maintaining life on Earth.
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04:20Carbon Cycle
Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration is the metabolic process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water. While it is a critical process for energy production in living organisms, it is not the process that describes the movement of carbon from the atmosphere to plants, which is specifically captured by photosynthesis.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Why are the open oceans nutrient poor? Why are coastal areas and intertidal habitats relatively nutrient rich?
Textbook Question
If the GPP of a grassland is 5000 kcal/m2/year and 55 percent is used up by cellular respiration, what is the NPP?
a. 2250 kcal/m2/year
b. 2750 kcal/m2/year
c. 5000 kcal/m2/year
d. Need more data
Textbook Question
Explain why decomposition rates in a field in Nebraska would differ from the decomposition rates in a field in the Amazon. How do decomposers regulate nutrient availability in ecosystems?
Textbook Question
True or False: Most of the net primary productivity that is consumed is used for growth by primary consumers. Explain.
Textbook Question
What is the main global reservoir of nitrogen?