Tag: Decomposition

Did you know that bacteria exhibit the most extensive metabolic diversity on Earth? This single-celled lifeform has evolved a vast array of sophisticated strategies to obtain the nutrients it needs to survive, thrive, and reproduce, from harnessing sunlight to oxidizing inorganic chemicals.

Celery, composed of about 95% water, requires a lot of energy to digest, yet its fibrous nature makes it surprisingly resistant to breakdown. This article explores the various biological and environmental factors that answer the question: what breaks down celery, from the moment of harvest to its eventual return to the soil.

As heterotrophs, fungi are unable to produce their own food like plants, meaning they must absorb nutrients from other sources to survive. This fundamental difference from both plants and animals is key to understanding their role in ecosystems. So, what food do fungi need to survive?

Over 95% of a living organism's mass is made up of just six elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. The cyclic nutrient cycle, also known as a biogeochemical cycle, explains the essential, repeated pathway these elements take as they move between living organisms and the environment.

The global burden of malnutrition is a significant threat to human health, but on a macro scale, living organisms depend on the planet's continuous, natural process of recycling essential elements. This process is the broader, ecological meaning of the nutrition cycle, also known as a nutrient or biogeochemical cycle.

While pure amino acids are often odorless, studies confirm that humans can indeed perceive the scent of certain amino acids, particularly at specific concentrations. This surprising olfactory ability connects to a wider scientific truth about how these building blocks of protein can significantly impact our sense of smell.

Over 95% of the mass of all living things is composed of elements like carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen that are continuously recycled through ecosystems. This vital, continuous process, known as the nutrition cycle, or biogeochemical cycle, describes how these essential elements move through different parts of the environment.

From the largest blue whale to the smallest bacterium, every living organism has a strategy for acquiring food. This diverse process of obtaining sustenance explains the wide variety of biological structures and behaviors seen across the planet and reveals how they get their nutrition.

Triglycerides yield more than twice the energy per unit mass compared to carbohydrates, underscoring the significant energy potential unlocked through lipid decomposition. This vital process yields a diverse array of products, with specific outcomes depending on the decomposition pathway and environmental context.

Nutrient cycling is a fundamental ecological process that allows for the recycling of essential elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. It occurs within and between all of Earth's major ecosystems, from the rich soils of a forest floor to the vast, deep oceans. The movement of these vital nutrients ensures the continuous renewal of resources necessary for life to thrive, contrasting with the one-way flow of energy.