Question

What is the importance of the carbon and nitrogen cycles to ecosystems?


They are needed to release the energy stored in food.


They ensure that matter only moves within a nonliving environment.


They provide materials organisms need to build their bodies.


They supply the energy needed for living processes.

Answer 1

Answer:

Ecosystems rely on biogeochemical cycles. Many of the nutrients that living things depend on, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous are in constant circulation. Essential elements are often stored in reservoirs, where they can be taken out of circulation for years. For example, coal is a reservoir for carbon.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Oxidation and reduction processes enable organisms to transform other elements essential for life such as sulfur, phosphorus, and particularly N. Nitrogen is an integral part of enzymes in living tissues, that control the biochemical processes in which carbon is involved, such as photosynthesis and respiration