Advertisement

Phosphorus Cycle

Last updated: February 1, 2017

What Does Phosphorus Cycle Mean?

The phosphorous cycle is the biochemical process by which phosphorous travels from its source in rocks through different ecosystems to living organisms. The phosphorous cycle has 5 steps or stages and branches, which can be displayed in diagram.

Safeopedia Explains Phosphorus Cycle

Phosphorous is an element, which is essential to plant and animal life. It plays an important role in cell development (namely protein synthesis) and is a key component in molecules within the cell, which store energy for the cell. This is the same with both plants and animals. Plants take phosphorous from the soil and animals take it from plants and other animals depending on their diet. The cycle includes the release of phosphate from the erosion of rocks, plants and fungi absorbing phosphate with their roots, phosphates then move from producers to consumers vie the food chain, phosphorous may then seep into the earth through soil and become part of rock, then the cycle repeats.

Advertisement

Share This Term

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • X

Related Terms

Related Reading

Trending Articles

Go back to top