the carbon cycle

The carbon cycle is involved in the exchange of matter between animals and plants. The cycle of electrons, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and sugar between plants and animals is important because both support each other. Animals take in sugar by eating and oxygen by breathing; both are produced by plants. While the animal is working it will use energy from high energy electrons that it obtained through sugar to create ATP. It is in the mitochondrion where high energy electrons are removed and the energy from those electrons is used to create ATP. It is important to note that it is the flow of high energy electrons that actually makes ATP. The high energy electrons will turn into low energy electrons after they have been used to create ADP and combine with oxygen to form water which will then leave the animal’s body. After the high energy electrons have been removed from sugar to create ATP, the byproduct is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide will then leave the animal’s body by exhaling. ATP is important because it provides the energy to proteins in order to accomplish their essential functions within the cell. Plants take in water and carbon dioxide; both are produced by animals. Plants work the opposite as animals meaning that they will add high energy electrons to carbon dioxide which converts carbon dioxide into sugar. Water contains low energy electrons, which are energized entirely through sunlight and turn into high energy electrons. After the high energy electrons leave the water they combine with carbon dioxide to create sugar. Water (that has just lost its electron) will turn into oxygen as a byproduct and leave the plant. The process of the plant taking carbon dioxide and water and turning them into sugar and oxygen is called photosynthesis. The plant will then release both the oxygen and the sugar which will be used to support the animal.