Environmental scientists and policy makers seek to understand these factors so they can try to pass regulations to offset negative impacts to the atmosphere. There are many factors that affect the global concentration of carbon in the atmosphere, including seasons and human activities like carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon also exists on many planets in the form of carbon dioxide.ĥ Factors That Affect Carbon In The Atmosphere Carbon is not only found in abundance on the earth, but the sun and the stars also contain carbon. Whenever a fire is burned, the black soot that results is a form of carbon.Ĭarbon is found in different forms in all living beings on earth. Also, coal and diamonds are made up of mostly carbon, and graphite, which gives pencil lead its black color, is pure carbon. Rubber, plastics, gasoline, natural gas, are just a few examples. All the carbon in your body once existed in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. They take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and give off oxygen back into the atmosphere for us to breathe. The body does not need carbon dioxide so we exhale it when we breathe. The human body inhales oxygen from the atmosphere and when it combines with carbon, it creates carbon dioxide. This is another great example of an answer to the question “Why is carbon so important in biology?” If you have heard it said water makes up most of the human body, then it would also be correct to say carbon makes up most of the other parts. Sugars, DNA, proteins, fats, pretty much everything except water contains carbon in the human body. Remember, the presence of carbon determines whether something is organic or inorganic. Carbon compounds are also very versatile and they are in many objects we use every day. Carbon is important in everyday life for all living beings in order for them to live, grow, and reproduce. Why Is Carbon So Important In Biology?Ĭarbon is important in biology because without it, life itself would not exist. It takes place from days to thousands of years. The Biological or Physical Carbon Cycle is the way carbon cycles through vegetation, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, soil, and in fossil fuel burning. It takes place over millions of years.Ģ The Biological or Physical Carbon Cycle The Geological Carbon cycle is how carbon moves between rocks and minerals, seawater, and the atmosphere. The Geological Carbon Cycle is driven by the movements of the earth’s tectonic plates and geological processes such as chemical weathering. The presence or absence of carbon determines whether an organism is organic or inorganic. Without carbon, life as we know it would cease to exist because it is the main element in organic compounds that make up living things. What Is The Carbon Cycle?Ĭarbon is the fourth most abundant element on earth, and it is a finite resource because it cycles through the earth in so many forms. It can move with respiration, photosynthesis, as a part of food chains, and by burning fuel, just to name a few. Still wondering why is carbon so important in biology? It’s role in creating living organisms is one of the core reasons we study it.Ĭarbon, in its many forms, does not stay still. We group these organic compounds into four types: Carbohydrates (sugars and starches), Lipids (fats and oils), Proteins (enzymes and antibodies), and Nucleic Acids (DNA, RNA). Carbon is the main element of organic compounds we need to live. Organic compounds make up the cells and other structures of living organisms and they carry out the processes of life. Carbon remains in balance with other chemical reactions in the atmosphere and water because of its stability. Because of this, it can form long chain molecules, each having different properties. It has the highest melting point of the pure elements at 3,500 degrees Celsius, and it’s one of the elements that ancient man knew in its pure form.Ĭarbon’s molecular structure allows it to form bonds with many elements, itself other carbon elements. Some refer to carbon as the ‘King of the Elements’ because it is an absolute necessary to life. The 6 represents six electrons and six protons and its placement is in the middle of the periodic table as a representation that it is central to life as we know it. It has the atomic number 6 and uses the symbol C. The name for carbon comes from the Latin word ‘carbo’ which means coal.
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