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Article: Carbon Cycle
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- Biology
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle involves the circulation of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) from the atmosphere into plants and other living organisms; the transfer of carbon from these organisms into other temporary storage pools, living or nonliving, containing
organic
and
inorganic
carbon compounds; and the return of CO
2
to the atmosphere through respiration or combustion processes. The carbon cycle provides a unifying framework for examining exchanges or storage of carbon associated with photosynthesis and energy assimilation by organisms, respiration and
metabolism
, productivity and biomass accumulation, and the decay and recycling of organic matter at the level of a single organism, an
...