Question

You are a molecule of phosphorus. Choose a starting point in the phosphorus cycle and describe the process you would go through to move through the entire cycle.

Answer 1

Living creatures and the soil exchange phosphorus. Phosphates are taken up by plants from the soil and assimilated into organic molecules. Plants are consumed by animals, which then moves phosphorous up the food chain from one animal to the next. When an animal perishes and decomposes, phosphorus is released back into the soil.