Science
What is The carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle is the continuous movement of carbon through the air, oceans, living things, and rocks. Plants take in carbon dioxide, animals release it, and natural and human processes shift it between these reservoirs.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains the carbon cycle.
Key things to understand
- 1Carbon moves between the atmosphere, life, oceans, and the ground.
- 2Plants absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis; respiration and decay release it.
- 3Oceans absorb and release large amounts of carbon.
- 4Burning fossil fuels adds extra CO₂, driving climate change.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the carbon cycle work?
- Carbon flows between air, living things, oceans, and rocks through photosynthesis, respiration, decay, and combustion.
- How do humans affect the carbon cycle?
- Burning fossil fuels and deforestation release stored carbon, raising atmospheric CO₂.
- Why is the carbon cycle important?
- It regulates Earth's climate; disrupting it with extra CO₂ drives global warming.