Tag: Environmental biology

The Earth's chemical composition is essentially fixed, meaning all matter must be reused. This perpetual movement and regeneration is why we call nutrient cycles cycles, describing a system of continuous recycling between the planet's living and non-living components.

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.