Answer: Phosphorus moves in a cycle through rocks, water, soil, sediments, and organisms.
Steps of Phosphorus cycle:
<u>Rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals.</u> This inorganic phosphate is then distributed in soils and water.
<u>Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil.</u> The plants may then be consumed by animals. Once in the plant or animal, the <u>phosphate is incorporated into organic molecules such as DNA. </u> <u>When the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic phosphate is returned to the soil.</u>
Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available to plants by bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic forms of phosphorus. <u>This process is known as mineralisation.</u>
<u>Phosphorus in soil can end up in waterways and eventually oceans. Once there, it can be incorporated into sediments over time.</u>