write a short not on oxygen cycle?
Oxygen cycle
- The largest reservoir of Earth 's oxygen is within the silicate and oxide minerals of the crust and mantle (99.5%). Only a small fraction is present as free oxygen in the biosphere (0.01%) and atmosphere (0.49%).
- Within the biosphere and atmosphere, plants mark the beginning of the oxygen cycle. Plants are able to use the energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen in a process called photosynthesis.
- Animals form the other half of the oxygen cycle. They breathe in oxygen which they use to break carbohydrates down into energy in a process called respiration.
- An additional supply of atmospheric oxygen comes from photolysis, whereby high energy ultraviolet radiation breaks down atmospheric water. The free Hydrogen and Nitrogen atoms escape into space leaving Oxygen in the atmosphere.
- Most of the Oxygen present in the atmosphere is used during respiration and decay mechanisms
- Oxygen is also cycled between the biosphere and lithosphere