IGCSE BIOLOGY
SECTION 4 LESSON 3
Content
Section 4
a) The organism in the
Ecology and environment
the
Environment b) Feeding relationships
c) Cycles within ecosystems
d) Human influences on the
environment
Content
Lesson 3 b) Cycles within
ecosystems
c) Cycles within
ecosystems 4.8 describe the stages in the water cycle,
including evaporation, transpiration,
condensation and precipitation
4.9 describe the stages in the carbon cycle,
including respiration, photosynthesis,
decomposition and combustion
4.10 describe the stages in the nitrogen cycle,
including the roles of nitrogen fixing bacteria,
decomposers, nitrifying bacteria and
denitrifying bacteria (specific names of
bacteria are not required).
Recycling
Recycling
er
Pa p
Food
scraps
Plast
ics
ic al
ct r
l e
E em s
it
cardboard
Aluminiu
m
Oil Bottles
ca n s
Recycling
SOIL
PRODUCERS DECOMPOSERS
CONSUMERS
Recycling
Water SOIL
Decay
and
nutrients
PRODUCERS DECOMPOSERS
Die
CONSUMERS
Eaten Die
Recycling
Water SOIL
Decay
and
nutrients g e n
t o
r g’
n i i n
PRODUCERS a d c l
n cDECOMPOSERS
y
o n
b ra l
Die r e
c a r u
er , n a t
a t – ‘
W cl e s
cy CONSUMERS
Eaten Die
The water cycle
The water cycle
evaporation
The water cycle
transpiration
evaporation
The water cycle
condensation
transpiration
evaporation
The water cycle
condensation
transpiration
evaporation
precipitation
The carbon cycle
Carbon – occurs in all
compounds which make up
living organisms.
Plants get their carbon from
carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere and animals get
their carbon from plants.
The carbon cycle
The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
photosynthesis
The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
photosynthesis
Organic
Decay
carbon
organisms
Dead
organisms and
waste products
Decomposition
Fossils and fossil fuels
The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
Plant
respiration
Animal
photosynthesis respiration
Organic Root
Decay
carbon respiration
organisms
Dead
organisms and
waste products
Decomposition
Fossils and fossil fuels
The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
Plant
Combustion
respiration
– burning of
Animal fossil fuels
photosynthesis respiration
Organic Root
Decay
carbon respiration
organisms
Dead
organisms and
waste products
Decomposition
Fossils and fossil fuels
The nitrogen
The carbon cycle
cycle
Carbon dioxide
When an animal or plant dies, its tissues
decompose, partly as a result of
bacteria action.
Combustion
Photosynthesis
One of the important products of this
decay is ammonia (NH3) which is washed
Respiration
into the soil.
The excretory products of animals
contain nitrogenous waste products
Decomposition
such as ammonia, urea and uric acid.
The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Nitrog
en fixi
bacter ng
ia
o s e rs
De comp i a
te r
bac
i n g
D e n it r ri f y
if y i n g N i t
bacter
ia
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Animal
Animal
waste protein
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in the
soil.
Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
clover
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in the
soil.
Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
clover
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in the
soil.
Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Nitrogen-fixing
Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.
Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Animal
protein
Nitrogen-fixing
Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.
Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Animal
Animal
waste protein
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Animal
Animal
waste protein
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Animal
Animal
waste protein
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
High temperature lightning discharges cause some of
the oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere to
combine and form nitrogen oxides.
Animal These dissolve in
Animal
the rain and are waste
washed into the soil as weak acids,
protein
where they form nitrates.
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air
Animal
Animal
waste protein
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Decomposers
Nitrifying bacteria
Denitrifying bacteria
The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Organisms which break down dead
Decomposers animal and plant material, releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
Nitrifying bacteria
Denitrifying bacteria
The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Organisms which break down dead
Decomposers animal and plant material, releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
Bacteria which convert ammonium
Nitrifying bacteria
compounds into nitrates.
Denitrifying bacteria
The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Organisms which break down dead
Decomposers animal and plant material, releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
Bacteria which convert ammonium
Nitrifying bacteria
compounds into nitrates.
Bacteria that use nitrate ions in their
Denitrifying bacteria
metabolism and release nitrogen gas
End of Section 4 Lesson 3
In this lesson we have covered:
• Recycling in natural ecosystems
• The Water Cycle
• The Carbon Cycle
• The Nitrogen Cycle