IGCSE BIOLOGY

UNIT 19.4
 CONTENT

Ecology and a) The organism in the

the environment
Environment
b) Feeding relationships

c) Cycles within ecosystems

d) Human influences on the

environment
 CONTENT
b) Cycles within
c) Cycles within ecosystems
ecosystems
4.8 describe the stages in the water cycle,
including evaporation, transpiration,
condensation and precipitation
4.9 describe the stages in the carbon cycle,
including respiration, photosynthesis,
decomposition and combustion
4.10 describe the stages in the nitrogen cycle,
including the roles of nitrogen fixing bacteria,
decomposers, nitrifying bacteria and
denitrifying bacteria (specific names of
bacteria are not required).
Recycling
 Recycling
er
Pap
Food
scraps

Plast
i cs
l
t rica
c
Ele ems
it
cardboard

Aluminiu
m
Oil Bottles
cans
 Recycling
SOIL

PRODUCERS DECOMPOSERS

CONSUMERS
 Recycling
Water SOIL
Decay
and
nutrients

PRODUCERS DECOMPOSERS
Die

CONSUMERS
Eaten Die
 Recycling
Water SOIL
Decay
and
nutrients g en
t o
r g’
ni in
PRODUCERS a d cl
n cDECOMPOSERS
y
o n
b ral
Die re
c a r u
er , n at
a t – ‘
W cle s
cy CONSUMERS
Eaten Die
The water cycle
The water cycle

evaporation
The water cycle

transpiration
evaporation
The water cycle

condensation

transpiration
evaporation
The water cycle

condensation

transpiration
evaporation
precipitation
The carbon cycle

Carbon – occurs in all

compounds which make up
living organisms.

Plants get their carbon from

carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere and animals get
their carbon from plants.
The carbon cycle
 The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide

photosynthesis
 The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide

photosynthesis

Organic
Decay
carbon
organisms
Dead
organisms and
waste products
Decomposition
Fossils and fossil fuels
 The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide

Plant
respiration
Animal
photosynthesis respiration

Organic Root
Decay
carbon respiration
organisms
Dead
organisms and
waste products
Decomposition
Fossils and fossil fuels
 The carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide

Plant
Combustion
respiration
– burning of
Animal fossil fuels
photosynthesis respiration

Organic Root
Decay
carbon respiration
organisms
Dead
organisms and
waste products
Decomposition
Fossils and fossil fuels
 The nitrogen
The carbon cycle
cycle
Carbon dioxide
When an animal or plant dies, its tissues
decompose, partly as a result of
bacteria action.
Combustion
Photosynthesis
One of the important products of this
decay is ammonia (NH3) which is washed
Respiration
into the soil.

The excretory products of animals

contain nitrogenous waste products
Decomposition
such as ammonia, urea and uric acid.
 The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Nitrog
en fixi
bacter ng
ia
os e r s
c o m p
De r i a
ba cte
i n g
Denitr rif y
ifying N it
bacter
ia
 The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Animal
Animal
waste protein

Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in the
soil.

Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
clover
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in the
soil.

Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
clover
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in the
soil.

Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Nitrogen-fixing
Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.

Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Animal
protein

Nitrogen-fixing
Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.

Nitrogen –fixing
bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Animal
Animal
waste protein

Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.

Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing

bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Animal
Animal
waste protein

Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
protein soil.

Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing

bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
 The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Animal
Animal
waste protein

Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
 The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

High temperature lightning discharges cause some of

the oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere to
combine and form nitrogen oxides.
Animal These dissolve in
Animal
the rain and are waste
washed into the soil as weak acids,
protein
where they form nitrates.
Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
 The nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen
in the air

Animal
Animal
waste protein

Nitrogen-fixing
Dead animals
and plants Plant bacteria in the
Denitrifying protein soil.
Decomposers
bacteria
(in waterlogged
Nitrifying bacteria Nitrogen –fixing
soil) bacteria in root
nodules of peas,
Ammonium and
clover
nitrates in the soil
 The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen

Decomposers

Nitrifying bacteria

Denitrifying bacteria
 The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Organisms which break down dead
Decomposers animal and plant material, releasing the
nutrients into the soil.

Nitrifying bacteria

Denitrifying bacteria
 The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Organisms which break down dead
Decomposers animal and plant material, releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
Bacteria which convert ammonium
Nitrifying bacteria
compounds into nitrates.

Denitrifying bacteria
 The nitrogen cycle
Key words:
Bacteria which can absorb nitrogen as
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria a gas from air spaces in the soil and
build it into compounds of nitrogen
Organisms which break down dead
Decomposers animal and plant material, releasing the
nutrients into the soil.
Bacteria which convert ammonium
Nitrifying bacteria
compounds into nitrates.

Bacteria that use nitrate ions in their

Denitrifying bacteria
metabolism and release nitrogen gas
 End of Section 4 Lesson 3

In this lesson we have covered:

• Recycling in natural ecosystems

• The Water Cycle

• The Carbon Cycle

• The Nitrogen Cycle