Definition of carbon cycle Carbon cycle
car•bon cy•cle
We found 5 definitions of carbon cycle from 4 different sources.
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What does carbon cycle mean?
WordNet
Noun |
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| carbon cycle - a thermonuclear reaction in the interior of stars | ||
| carbon cycle - the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again |
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Wiktionary 
- carbon cycle (Noun)
The physical cycle of carbon through the Earth’s biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere that includes such processes as photosynthesis, decomposition, respiration and carbonification.
OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω
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carbon cycle
The cycle of carbon in the biosphere, in which plants convert carbon dioxide to organic compounds that are consumed by plants and animals, and the carbon is returned to the biosphere in inorganic form by processes of respiration and decay.\n(Source: MGH)
Wikipedia 
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The Carbon Cycle is a biogeochemical process where carbon is recycled through the ecosystem. The concentration of carbon in living matter (18%) is almost 100 times greater than its concentration in the earth (0.19%). So living things extract carbon from their nonliving environment. For life to continue, this carbon must be recycled. See the diagram for a detailed look at the carbon cycle. An example of a route carbon takes in this cycle is carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants and used in photosynthesis to produce sugars which the plant uses for energy. When the plant dies, it decomposes and the carbon stored in the plant will, over millions of years, form into coal (a fossil fuel). The coal is burnt and gives off carbon dioxide which goes into the atmosphere.
At the moment, the carbon cycle, and how human activity is affecting it, is a big topic in international news. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource which means that once we've burned them all, there isn't any more, and our use of fossil fuels has nearly doubled every 20 years since 1900. Also, the burning of fossil fuels produces pollution which contributes to the greenhouse effect and acid rain.
