Press the F 5 button on the keyboard

Press the F 5 button on the keyboard to start this tutorial

The Phosphorus Cycle Start from the beginning Make it Rain! The Producers The Consumers The Decomposers The Quiz The Human Factor

Back Why is Phosphorus Important? Home DNA molecules are made from three smaller molecules: (1) Sugar (2) Nitrogen base (3) ? ? ? What is the 3 rd molecule of DNA? Fatty acid No. Fatty acids are in lipids. Phosphate group correct Monosaccharide No. Monosaccharaides are in carbohydrates.

Back Why is Phosphorus Important? Home ATP is a molecule needed by cells for _______. Energy correct Food Hint: What does the mitochondria create? Releasing CO 2 Hint: What does the mitochondria create? ATP stands for Adenosine Tri____? prokaryote Which choice looks like “phosphorus? ” Polysaccharide Which choice looks like “phosphorus? ” phosphate correct

Back Why is Phosphorus Important? Home Which part of a cell is semi-permeable and allows some materials to enter/exit the cell? Mitochondria waste Hint: What does the mitochondria create? Cell membrane correct Rough ER Hint: What does the mitochondria create? waste The cell membrane is made from a double layer of lipids called “phospholipids. ” Which element is implied by the prefix “phospho? ” glucose Phosphorus glucose correct Potassium Plutonium Phospho…cmon!

Back Why is Phosphorus Important? Home Our cells need phospholipids, DNA, and ATP. They each have phosphorus in them. So where does the phosphorus come from? Phosphorus come from rocks. Rocks are solid lumps of minerals, and some of those minerals are phosphorus. So when rocks crumble and erode, phosphorus is released from the rocks. The weather causes rocks to crumble. Wind, cold, and rain cause dust sized fragments of rocks to chip off, thus releasing phosphorus into the ground

Make it Rain! Back Home The weather causes phosphorus to be released from rocks. Click the cloud to make it rain. Small bits of phosphorus are released into the ecosystem due to the weather. P P PP P Snails don’t have roots. Roots… think roots Click the cloud to make it stop raining. Now that there is phosphorus in the soil, click on the land organism that can absorb it through their roots.

The Producers Back Home Of course! Plants simply absorb the phosphorus through their roots. Click on the roots to proceed. Now that plants have phosphorus they can use it to make their DNA, ATP, and phospholipids. P Click on the herbivore (primary consumer) in the diagram. P P Decomposers feed on the dead. This plant is alive. P

The Consumers Back Home Of course! The snail is an herbivore so it eats the plant. This is how animals get the phosphorus to make their DNA, ATP, and phospholipids. P P P Maybe accidentally, but cows are herbivores too. P Phosphorus simply moves up the food chain. Which organism would likely eat snails? P P P Wolves are hunters. I don’t think they would hunt snails.

Up the Food Chain Back Home P P P The snail eats the plant… The frog eats the snail… Which would likely eat the frog? I’m an herbivore. You got it. Phosphorus moves up the food chain. I’m an herbivore.

The Decomposers Back Like any organism, This whole thing decomposers started with make waste. rocks…remember? They release their crumbling waste into the ecosystem. Some of their waste even contains Decomposers are organisms phosphorus. such as mushrooms and bacteria. They have DNA, ATP, Examine the picture… if and phospholipids also, so that decomposers release phosphorus means they need phosphorus into the soil, which organism can too. the phosphorus? reuse P P I hope you see why it’s The plants called the phosphorus Will decomposers feed cycle. on dead P P Home P plants? P P P yes The rocks P Yousnails got it. Will The dead snails? no Rocks aren’t they feed organisms yes no What do snails eat? We’re almost done. on

The Quiz Back 1. Which molecule does not contain phosphorus? DNA ATP Carbohydrate Phospholipid 2. How does phosphorus get into the soil in the first place? From rocks From decomposers From consumers From producers 3. Where do herbivores get phosphorus from? From rocks From decomposers From consumers From producers 4. Where do carnivores get phosphorus from? From rocks From decomposers From consumers From producers 5. Where do decomposers get phosphorus from? From any dead organism From decomposers only From consumers only From producers only Home

The Human Factor Back Home Sadly, human actions are disrupting the phosphorus cycle. Humans, like this farmer, routinely add extra phosphorus to soil because phosphorus is a fertilizer. What do you think the extra phosphorus does for the farmer’s crops? No. killer Kill. Weed weeds kills weeds. No. Kill Pesticides bugs kill bugs. Yes, exactly! Stimulates growth P P P So if phosphorus helps crops grow, why is this bad? P

Why is this Bad? Back The extra phosphorus is intended to help crops grow better, but often the phosphorus is washed away into rivers, lakes, and ponds when it rains. Rain. Make Rain it. Gorain Away The extra phosphorus got washed away and is collecting in this pond. Since the phosphorus is a fertilizer, it causes algae in the pond to grow at an extreme rate. These extreme algae growths are called “algal blooms. ” As the algae eventually die, the decaying process uses up the oxygen in the pond, thus all the fish die. Once the fish die, so does the rest of the ecosystem. P P P P Home

Back Wanna go for a swim? Home

Back Wanna go for a swim? Home

Back Wanna go for a swim? Home

Back Is There Any Hope? You can help stop this problem. Purchasing organic food supports farmers who do NOT use extra fertilizers. Home

Back Is There Any Hope? Home You can help stop this problem. Purchasing organic food supports farmers who do NOT use extra fertilizers. Not using fertilizers in your home garden prevents the spread of excess phosphorus.

Back Short Term vs. Long Term Plants absorb phosphates from water or soil Consumers obtain phosphorus by eating plants or eating other consumers Decomposers break down animal waster and decaying organisms and return phosphates to soil Home Phosphorus is carried by rivers or lakes to the ocean bottom Phosphorus is stored for long periods of time in sediment and sedimentary rock Stored phosphorus is eventually returned to soil through erosion, weathering, or human construction The image above illustrates the two cycles of phosphorus Short-term cycle: cycles phosphorus from soil to producers to consumers to decomposers back to soil. Long-term cycle: weathering or erosion of rocks slowly adds phosphorus to soil.

Back The End Home