term paper on oxygen cycle

• Games & Quizzes
• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

• What are the abiotic and biotic components of the biosphere?

oxygen cycle

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Rader's Geography4Kids.com - Oxygen Cycle

oxygen cycle , circulation of oxygen in various forms through nature. Free in the air and dissolved in water, oxygen is second only to nitrogen in abundance among uncombined elements in the atmosphere. Plants and animals use oxygen to respire and return it to the air and water as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). CO 2 is then taken up by algae and terrestrial green plants and converted into carbohydrates during the process of photosynthesis , oxygen being a by-product. The waters of the world are the main oxygen generators of the biosphere; their algae are estimated to replace about 90 percent of all oxygen used. Oxygen is involved to some degree in all the other biogeochemical cycles. For example, over time, detritus from living organisms transfers oxygen-containing compounds such as calcium carbonates into the lithosphere.

Despite the burning of fossil fuel and the reduction of natural vegetation (on land and in the sea), the level of atmospheric oxygen appears to be relatively stable because of the increase in plant productivity resulting from agricultural advances worldwide.

The oxygen cycle and a habitable Earth

• Published: 17 March 2021
• Volume 64 , pages 511–528, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• Jianping Huang 1 , 2 ,
• Xiaoyue Liu 1 ,
• Yongsheng He 3 ,
• Shuzhong Shen 4 , 5 ,
• Zengqian Hou 6 ,
• Shuguang Li 3 ,
• Changyu Li 1 ,
• Lijie Yao 1 &
• Jiping Huang 1  

1054 Accesses

26 Citations

43 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

As an important contributor to the habitability of our planet, the oxygen cycle is interconnected with the emergence and evolution of complex life and is also the basis to establish Earth system science. Investigating the global oxygen cycle provides valuable information on the evolution of the Earth system, the habitability of our planet in the geologic past, and the future of human life. Numerous investigations have expanded our knowledge of the oxygen cycle in the fields of geology, geochemistry, geobiology, and atmospheric science. However, these studies were conducted separately, which has led to onesided understandings of this critical scientific issue and an incomplete synthesis of the interactions between the different spheres of the Earth system. This review presents a five-sphere coupled model of the Earth system and clarifies the core position of the oxygen cycle in Earth system science. Based on previous research, this review comprehensively summarizes the evolution of the oxygen cycle in geological time, with a special focus on the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) and the mass extinctions, as well as the possible connections between the oxygen content and biological evolution. The possible links between the oxygen cycle and biodiversity in geologic history have profound implications for exploring the habitability of Earth in history and guiding the future of humanity. Since the Anthropocene, anthropogenic activities have gradually steered the Earth system away from its established trajectory and had a powerful impact on the oxygen cycle. The human-induced disturbance of the global oxygen cycle, if not controlled, could greatly reduce the habitability of our planet.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Mechanisms and climatic-ecological effects of the Great Oxidation Event in the early Proterozoic

Geochemistry as the Core of Biogeochemistry

Earth: Atmospheric Evolution of a Habitable Planet

Alcott L J, Mills B J W, Poulton S W. 2019. Stepwise Earth oxygenation is an inherent property of global biogeochemical cycling. Science, 366: 1333–1337

Article   Google Scholar  

Alvarez L W, Alvarez W, Asaro F, Michel H V. 1980. Extraterrestrial cause for the cretaceous-tertiary extinction. Science, 208: 1095–1108

Anser Li Z X, Aeolus Lee C T. 2004. The constancy of upper mantle fO 2 through time inferred from V/Sc ratios in basalts. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 228: 483–493

Archibald J D, Clemens W A, Padian K, Rowe T, Macleod N, Barrett P M, Gale A, Holroyd P, Sues H D, Arens N C, Horner J R, Wilson G P, Goodwin M B, Brochu C A, Lofgren D L, Hurlbert S H, Hartman J H, Eberth D A, Wignall P B, Currie P J, Weil A, Prasad G V R, Dingus L, Courtillot V, Milner A, Milner A, Bajpai S, Ward D J, Sahni A. 2010. Cretaceous extinctions: Multiple causes. Science, 328: 973

Aulbach S, Viljoen K S. 2015. Eclogite xenoliths from the Lace kimberlite, Kaapvaal craton: From convecting mantle source to palaeo-ocean floor and back. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 431: 274–286

Bambach R K. 2006. Phanerozoic biodiversity mass extinctions. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci, 34: 127–155

Barley M, Bekker A, Krapez B. 2005. Late Archean to Early Paleoproterozoic global tectonics, environmental change and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 238: 156–171

Barnosky A D, Matzke N, Tomiya S, Wogan G O U, Swartz B, Quental T B, Marshall C, McGuire J L, Lindsey E L, Maguire K C, Mersey B, Ferrer E A. 2011. Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived? Nature, 471: 51–57

Battle M, Fletcher S M, Bender M L, Keeling R F, Manning A C, Gruber N, Tans P P, Hendricks M B, Ho D T, Simonds C, Mika R, Paplawsky B. 2006. Atmospheric potential oxygen: New observations and their implications for some atmospheric and oceanic models. Glob Biogeochem Cycle, 20: GB1010

Battle M O, Munger J W, Conley M, Sofen E, Perry R, Hart R, Davis Z, Scheckman J, Woogerd J, Graeter K, Seekins S, David S, Carpenter J. 2019. Atmospheric measurements of the terrestrial O 2 : CO 2 exchange ratio of a midlatitude forest. Atmos Chem Phys, 19: 8687–8701

Bauer N, Hilaire J, Brecha R J, Edmonds J, Jiang K, Kriegler E, Rogner H H, Sferra F. 2016. Assessing global fossil fuel availability in a scenario framework. Energy, 111: 580–592

Bekker A, Holland H D, Wang P L, Rumble Iii D, Stein H J, Hannah J L, Coetzee L L, Beukes N J. 2004. Dating the rise of atmospheric oxygen. Nature, 427: 117–120

Bekker A, Slack J F, Planavsky N, Krapez B, Hofmann A, Konhauser K O, Rouxel O J. 2010. Iron formation: The sedimentary product of a complex interplay among mantle, tectonic, oceanic, and biospheric processes. Economic Geol, 105: 467–508

Bergman N M. 2004. COPSE: A new model of biogeochemical cycling over phanerozoic time. Am J Sci, 304: 397–437

Berner R A. 2006. Geocarbsulf: A combined model for Phanerozoic atmospheric O 2 and CO 2 . GeoChim CosmoChim Acta, 70: 5653–5664

Berner R A. 2005. The carbon and sulfur cycles and atmospheric oxygen from middle Permian to middle Triassic. GeoChim CosmoChim Acta, 69: 3211–3217

Berner R A. 2004. The Phanerozoic Carbon Cycle: CO 2 and O 2 . Oxford University Press

Berner R A, Vandenbrooks J M, Ward P D. 2007. Evolution: Oxygen and evolution. Science, 316: 557–558

Bonner J T. 1988. The Evolution of Complexity by Means of Natural Selection. Princeton University Press

Bopp L, Resplandy L, Orr J C, Doney S C, Dunne J P, Gehlen M, Halloran P, Heinze C, Ilyina T, Séférian R, Tjiputra J, Vichi M. 2013. Multiple stressors of ocean ecosystems in the 21st century: Projections with CMIP5 models. Biogeosciences, 10: 6225–6245

Bowring S A, Erwin D H, Jin Y G, Martin M W, Davidek K, Wang W. 1998. U/Pb zircon geochronology and tempo of the End-Permian mass extinction. Science, 280: 1039–1045

Burgess S D, Bowring S, Shen S. 2014. High-precision timeline for Earth’s most severe extinction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 111: 3316–3321

Burgess S D, Muirhead J D, Bowring S A. 2017. Initial pulse of Siberian Traps sills as the trigger of the end-Permian mass extinction. Nat Commun, 8: 164

Burron I, da Costa G, Sharpe R, Fayek M, Gauert C, Hofmann A. 2018. 3.2 Ga detrital uraninite in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa: Evidence of a reducing Archean atmosphere. Geology, 46: 295–298

Butterfield N J. 2018. Oxygen, animals and aquatic bioturbation: An updated account. Geobiology, 16: 3–16

Campbell I H, Allen C M. 2008. Formation of supercontinents linked to increases in atmospheric oxygen. Nat Geosci, 1: 554–558

Canfield D E. 2005. The early history of atmospheric oxygen: Homage to Robert M. Garrels. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci, 33: 1–36

Cardona T. 2019. Thinking twice about the evolution of photosynthesis. Open Biol, 9: 180246

Cartigny P, Palot M, Thomassot E, Harris J W. 2014. Diamond formation: A stable isotope perspective. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci, 42: 699–732

Catling D C, Kasting J F. 2017. Long-Term Climate Evolution. In: Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 299–326, doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139020558

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Catling D C, Zahnle K J. 2020. The Archean atmosphere. Sci Adv, 6: eaax1420

Catling D C, Zahnle K J, McKay C P. 2001. Biogenic methane, hydrogen escape, and the irreversible oxidation of early Earth. Science, 293: 839–843

Ceballos G, Ehrlich P R, Barnosky A D, García A, Pringle R M, Palmer T M. 2015. Accelerated modern human-induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Sci Adv, 1: e1400253

Ceballos G, Ehrlich P R, Dirzo R. 2017. Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 114: E6089–E6096

Chen B, Dong L, Liu X, Shi G Y, Chen L, Nakajima T, Habib A. 2016. Exploring the possible effect of anthropogenic heat release due to global energy consumption upon global climate: A climate model study. Int J Climatol, 36: 4790–4796

Chen C, Park T, Wang X, Piao S, Xu B, Chaturvedi R K, Fuchs R, Brovkin V, Ciais P, Fensholt R, Tømmervik H, Bala G, Zhu Z, Nemani R R, Myneni R B. 2019. China and India lead in greening of the world through land-use management. Nat Sustain, 2: 122–129

Chen J, Shen S, Li X, Xu Y, Joachimski M M, Bowring S A, Erwin D H, Yuan D, Chen B, Zhang H, Wang Y, Cao C, Zheng Q, Mu L. 2016. High-resolution SIMS oxygen isotope analysis on conodont apatite from South China and implications for the end-Permian mass extinction. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 448: 26–38

Ciborowski T J R, Kerr A C. 2016. Did mantle plume magmatism help trigger the Great Oxidation Event? Lithos, 246–247: 128–133

Clapham M E, Karr J A. 2012. Environmental and biotic controls on the evolutionary history of insect body size. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109: 10927–10930

Cole D B, Mills D B, Erwin D H, Sperling E A, Porter S M, Reinhard C T, Planavsky N J. 2020. On the co-evolution of surface oxygen levels and animals. Geobiology, 18: 260–281

Colman A S, Mackenzie F T, Holland H D, Van Cappellen P, Ingall E D. 1997. Redox stabilization of the atmosphere and oceans and marine productivity. Science, 275: 406–408

Condie K C. 2018. A planet in transition: The onset of plate tectonics on Earth between 3 and 2 Ga? GeoSci Front, 9: 51–60

Cox G M, Lyons T W, Mitchell R N, Hasterok D, Gard M. 2018. Linking the rise of atmospheric oxygen to growth in the continental phosphorus inventory. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 489: 28–36

Crowe S A, Døssing L N, Beukes N J, Bau M, Kruger S J, Frei R, Canfield D E. 2013. Atmospheric oxygenation three billion years ago. Nature, 501: 535–538

Crutzen P J. 2002. Geology of mankind. Nature, 415: 23

Dart T, Gallo M, Beer J, Fischer J, Morgan T, Pilmanis A. 2017. Hyperoxia and hypoxic hypoxia effects on simple and choice reaction times. Aerospace Med Human Performance, 88: 1073–1080

Dauphas N, Craddock P R, Asimow P D, Bennett V C, Nutman A P, Ohnenstetter D. 2009. Iron isotopes may reveal the redox conditions of mantle melting from Archean to Present. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 288: 255–267

de Aquino Lemos V, dos Santos R V T, Lira F S, Rodrigues B, Tufik S, de Mello M T. 2013. Can high altitude influence cytokines and sleep? Mediat Inflamm, 2013: 1–8

DePalma R A, Smit J, Burnham D A, Kuiper K, Manning P L, Oleinik A, Larson P, Maurrasse F J, Vellekoop J, Richards M A, Gurche L, Alvarez W. 2019. A seismically induced onshore surge deposit at the KPg boundary, North Dakota. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 116: 8190–8199

Diaz R J, Rosenberg R. 2008. Spreading dead zones and consequences for marine ecosystems. Science, 321: 926–929

Duncan M S, Dasgupta R. 2017. Rise of Earth’s atmospheric oxygen controlled by efficient subduction of organic carbon. Nat Geosci, 10: 387–392

Eguchi J, Seales J, Dasgupta R. 2020. Great Oxidation and Lomagundi events linked by deep cycling and enhanced degassing of carbon. Nat Geosci, 13: 71–76

Erwin D H. 2020. The origin of animal body plans: A view from fossil evidence and the regulatory genome. Development, 147: dev182899

Erwin D H, Laflamme M, Tweedt S M, Sperling E A, Pisani D, Peterson K J. 2011. The cambrian conundrum: Early divergence and later ecological success in the early history of animals. Science, 334: 1091–1097

Evans K A. 2012. The redox budget of subduction zones. Earth-Sci Rev, 113: 11–32

Fan J X, Shen S Z, Erwin D H, Sadler P M, MacLeod N, Cheng Q M, Hou X D, Yang J, Wang X D, Wang Y, Zhang H, Chen X, Li G X, Zhang Y C, Shi Y K, Yuan D X, Chen Q, Zhang L N, Li C, Zhao Y Y. 2020. A high-resolution summary of Cambrian to Early Triassic marine invertebrate biodiversity. Science, 367: 272–277

Farquhar J, Bao H, Thiemens M. 2000. Atmospheric influence of Earth’s earliest sulfur cycle. Science, 289: 756–758

Farquhar J, Savarino J, Airieau S, Thiemens M H. 2001. Observation of wavelength-sensitive mass-independent sulfur isotope effects during SO 2 photolysis: Implications for the early atmosphere. J Geophys Res, 106: 32829–32839

Foster G L, Royer D L, Lunt D J. 2017. Future climate forcing potentially without precedent in the last 420 million years. Nat Commun, 8: 14845

Gaillard F, Scaillet B, Arndt N T. 2011. Atmospheric oxygenation caused by a change in volcanic degassing pressure. Nature, 478: 229–232

Goffner D, Sinare H, Gordon L J. 2019. The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative as an opportunity to enhance resilience in Sahelian landscapes and livelihoods. Reg Environ Change, 19: 1417–1428

Gold D A, Caron A, Fournier G P, Summons R E. 2017. Paleoproterozoic sterol biosynthesis and the rise of oxygen. Nature, 543: 420–423

Gulick S P S, Bralower T J, Ormö J, Hall B, Grice K, Schaefer B, Lyons S, Freeman K H, Morgan J V, Artemieva N, Kaskes P, de Graaff S J, Whalen M T, Collins G S, Tikoo S M, Verhagen C, Christeson G L, Claeys P, Coolen M J L, Goderis S, Goto K, Grieve R A F, McCall N, Osinski G R, Rae A S P, Riller U, Smit J, Vajda V, Wittmann A. 2019. The first day of the Cenozoic. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 116: 19342–19351

Gumsley A P, Chamberlain K R, Bleeker W, Söderlund U, de Kock M O, Larsson E R, Bekker A. 2017. Timing and tempo of the Great Oxidation Event. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 114: 1811–1816

Hayes J M, Waldbauer J R. 2006. The carbon cycle and associated redox processes through time. Phil Trans R Soc B, 361: 931–950

Hazen R M, Papineau D, Bleeker W, Downs R T, Ferry J M, McCoy T J, Sverjensky D A, Yang H. 2008. Mineral evolution. Am Miner, 93: 1693–1720

He Y, Meng X, Ke S, Wu H, Zhu C, Teng F Z, Hoefs J, Huang J, Yang W, Xu L, Hou Z, Ren Z Y, Li S. 2019. A nephelinitic component with unusual δ 56 Fe in Cenozoic basalts from eastern China and its implications for deep oxygen cycle. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 512: 175–183

Herman J K, Ingermann R L. 1996. Effects of hypoxia and hyperoxia on oxygen-transfer properties of the blood of a viviparous snake. J Exp Biol, 199: 2061–2070

Hinojosa J L, Brown S T, Chen J, DePaolo D J, Paytan A, Shen S, Payne J L. 2012. Evidence for end-Permian ocean acidification from calcium isotopes in biogenic apatite. Geology, 40: 743–746

Hobkirk J P, Damy T, Walters M, Bennett A, Smith S J, Ingle L, Clark A L, Cleland J G F. 2013. Effects of reducing inspired oxygen concentration for one hour in patients with chronic heart failure: Implications for air travel. Eur J Heart Failure, 15: 505–510

Holland H D. 1985. The chemical evolution of the atmosphere and oceans. Geol Mag, 122: 404–405

Holland H D. 2009. Why the atmosphere became oxygenated: A proposal. GeoChim CosmoChim Acta, 73: 5241–5255

Holland H D, Lazar B, McCaffrey M. 1986. Evolution of the atmosphere and oceans. Nature, 320: 27–33

Hong L, Xu Y G, Zhang L, Wang Y, Ma L. 2020. Recycled carbonate-induced oxidization of the convective mantle beneath Jiaodong, Eastern China. Lithos, 366–367: 105544

Hu Q, Kim D Y, Yang W, Yang L, Meng Y, Zhang L, Mao H K. 2016. FeO 2 and FeOOH under deep lower-mantle conditions and Earth’s oxygen-hydrogen cycles. Nature, 534: 241–244

Hu Y, Ding F. 2011. Radiative constraints on the habitability of exoplanets Gliese 581c and Gliese 581d. Astron Astrophys, 526: A135

Hu Y, Yang J, Ding F, Peltier W R. 2011. Model-dependence of the CO 2 threshold for melting the hard Snowball Earth. Clim Past, 7: 17–25

Huang J, Yu H, Dai A, Wei Y, Kang L. 2017. Drylands face potential threat under 2°C global warming target. Nat Clim Change, 7: 417–422

Huang J, Yu H, Guan X, Wang G, Guo R. 2016. Accelerated dryland expansion under climate change. Nat Clim Change, 6: 166–171

Huang J, Huang J, Liu X, Li C, Ding L, Yu H. 2018. The global oxygen budget and its future projection. Sci Bull, 63: 1180–1186

Huey R B, Ward P D. 2005. Hypoxia, global warming, and terrestrial late permian extinctions. Science, 308: 398–401

IPCC. 2014. AR5 - Working Group 3, Mitigation of Climate Change-Contribution of Working Group III. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Google Scholar  

Jin Y G, Wang Y, Wang W, Shang Q H, Cao C Q, Erwin D H. 2000. Pattern of marine mass extinction near the Permian-Triassic boundary in South China. Science, 289: 432–436

Joachimski M M, Lai X, Shen S, Jiang H, Luo G, Chen B, Chen J, Sun Y. 2012. Climate warming in the latest Permian and the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Geology, 40: 195–198

Kasting J F. 2013. What caused the rise of atmospheric O 2 ? Chem Geol, 362: 13–25

Kasting J F, Ackerman T P, Series N, Jan N. 1993. Earth’s Early atmosphere: Response. Science, 235: 2341–2343

Kasting J F, Canfield D E. 2012. The Global Oxygen Cycle. In: Knoll A H, Canfield D E, Konhauser K O, eds. Fundamentals of Geobiology. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK. 93–104, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118280874.ch7

Keeling R F, Manning A C. 2014. Studies of recent changes in atmospheric O 2 Content. In: Treatise on Geochemistry. Elsevier. 385–404, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.0042004

Keeling R F, Najjar R P, Bender M L, Tans P P. 1993. What atmospheric oxygen measurements can tell us about the global carbon cycle. Glob Biogeochem Cycle, 7: 37–67

Keeling R F, Shertz S R. 1992. Seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric oxygen and implications for the global carbon cycle. Nature, 358: 723–727

Keller C B, Schoene B. 2012. Statistical geochemistry reveals disruption in secular lithospheric evolution about 2.5 Gyr ago. Nature, 485: 490–493

Kirschvink J L, Gaidos E J, Bertani L E, Beukes N J, Gutzmer J, Maepa L N, Steinberger R E. 2000. Paleoproterozoic snowball Earth: Extreme climatic and geochemical global change and its biological consequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97: 1400–1405

Knoll A H, Bambach R K, Payne J L, Pruss S, Fischer W W. 2007. Paleophysiology and end-Permian mass extinction. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 256: 295–313

Knoll A H, Nowak M A. 2017. The timetable of evolution. Sci Adv, 3: e1603076

Konhauser K O, Pecoits E, Lalonde S V, Papineau D, Nisbet E G, Barley M E, Arndt N T, Zahnle K, Kamber B S. 2009. Oceanic nickel depletion and a methanogen famine before the Great Oxidation Event. Nature, 458: 750–753

Krause A J, Mills B J W, Zhang S, Planavsky N J, Lenton T M, Poulton S W. 2018. Stepwise oxygenation of the Paleozoic atmosphere. Nat Commun, 9: 4081

Kring D A. 2007. The Chicxulub impact event and its environmental consequences at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 255: 4–21

Krissansen-Totton J, Buick R, Catling D C. 2015. A statistical analysis of the carbon isotope record from the Archean to phanerozoic and implications for the rise of oxygen. Am J Sci, 315: 275–316

Kump L R. 2014. The Geochemistry of Mass Extinction. In: Holland H D, Turekian K K, eds. Treatise on Geochemistry. Elsevier. 269–280, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.01313-9

Kump L R, Barley M E. 2007. Increased subaerial volcanism and the rise of atmospheric oxygen 2.5 billion years ago. Nature, 448: 1033–1036

Kump L R, Garrels R M. 1986. Modeling atmospheric O 2 in the global sedimentary redox cycle. Am J Sci, 286: 337–360

Laakso T A, Schrag D P. 2014. Regulation of atmospheric oxygen during the Proterozoic. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 388: 81–91

Laakso T A, Strauss J V, Peterson K J. 2020. Herbivory and its effect on Phanerozoic oxygen concentrations. Geology, 48: 410–414

Laurance W F. 2019. The Anthropocene. Curr Biol, 29: R953–R954

Le Quéré C, Andrew R M, Friedlingstein P, Sitch S, Hauck J, Pongratz J, Pickers P A, Korsbakken J I, Peters G P, Canadell J G, Arneth A, Arora V K, Barbero L, Bastos A, Bopp L, Chevallier F, Chini L P, Ciais P, Doney S C, Gkritzalis T, Goll D S, Harris I, Haverd V, Hoffman F M, Hoppema M, Houghton R A, Hurtt G, Ilyina T, Jain A K, Johannessen T, Jones C D, Kato E, Keeling R F, Goldewijk K K, Landschützer P, Lefèvre N, Lienert S, Liu Z, Lombardozzi D, Metzl N, Munro D R, Nabel J E M S, Nakaoka S, Neill C, Olsen A, Ono T, Patra P, Peregon A, Peters W, Peylin P, Pfeil B, Pierrot D, Poulter B, Rehder G, Resplandy L, Robertson E, Rocher M, Rödenbeck C, Schuster U, Schwinger J, Séférian R, Skjelvan I, Steinhoff T, Sutton A, Tans P P, Tian H, Tilbrook B, Tubiello F N, van der Laan-Luijkx I T, van der Werf G R, Viovy N, Walker A P, Wiltshire A J, Wright R, Zaehle S, Zheng B. 2018. Global carbon budget 2018. Earth Syst Sci Data, 10: 2141–2194

Lee C T A, Yeung L Y, McKenzie N R, Yokoyama Y, Ozaki K, Lenardic A. 2016. Two-step rise of atmospheric oxygen linked to the growth of continents. Nat Geosci, 9: 417–424

Lee H, Muirhead J D, Fischer T P, Ebinger C J, Kattenhorn S A, Sharp Z D, Kianji G. 2016. Massive and prolonged deep carbon emissions associated with continental rifting. Nat Geosci, 9: 145–149

Lenton T M, Dahl T W, Daines S J, Mills B J W, Ozaki K, Saltzman M R, Porada P. 2016. Earliest land plants created modern levels of atmospheric oxygen. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 113: 9704–9709

Lenton T M, Held H, Kriegler E, Hall J W, Lucht W, Rahmstorf S, Schellnhuber H J. 2008. Tipping elements in the Earth’s climate system. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105: 1786–1793

Lewis S L, Maslin M A. 2015. Defining the Anthropocene. Nature, 519: 171–180

Li C, Huang J, Ding L, Liu X, Yu H, Huang J. 2020. Increasing escape of oxygen from oceans under climate change. Geophys Res Lett, 47: e86345

Liu H, Zartman R E, Ireland T R, Sun W D. 2019. Global atmospheric oxygen variations recorded by Th/U systematics of igneous rocks. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 116: 18854–18859

Liu X, Huang J, Huang J, Li C, Ding L, Meng W. 2020. Estimation of gridded atmospheric oxygen consumption from 1975 to 2018. J Meteorol Res, 34: 646–658

Livina V N, Vaz Martins T M, Forbes A B. 2015. Tipping point analysis of atmospheric oxygen concentration. Chaos, 25: 036403

Lueker T J, Keeling R F, Dubey M K. 2001. The oxygen to carbon dioxide ratios observed in emissions from a wildfire in northern California. Geophys Res Lett, 28: 2413–2416

Luo G, Ono S, Beukes N J, Wang D T, Xie S, Summons R E. 2016. Rapid oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere 2.33 billion years ago. Sci Adv, 2: e1600134

Lyons T W, Reinhard C T, Planavsky N J. 2014. The rise of oxygen in Earth’s early ocean and atmosphere. Nature, 506: 307–315

Machta L, Hughes E. 1970. Atmospheric oxygen in 1967 to 1970. Science, 168: 1582–1584

Manning A C, Keeling R F. 2006. Global oceanic and land biotic carbon sinks from the Scripps atmospheric oxygen flask sampling network. Tellus B-Chem Phys Meteor, 58: 95–116

Mao H K, Hu Q, Yang L, Liu J, Kim D Y, Meng Y, Zhang L, Prakapenka V B, Yang W, Mao W L. 2017. When water meets iron at Earth’s core-mantle boundary. Natl Sci Rev, 4: 870–878

Martin D, McKenna H, Livina V. 2017. The human physiological impact of global deoxygenation. J Physiol Sci, 67: 97–106

McCormick L R, Levin L A, Oesch N W. 2019. Vision is highly sensitive to oxygen availability in marine invertebrate larvae. J Exp Biol, 222: jeb200899

Minejima C, Kubo M, Tohjima Y, Yamagishi H, Koyama Y, Maksyutov S, Kita K, Mukai H. 2012. Analysis of ΔO 2 /ΔCO 2 ratios for the pollution events observed at Hateruma Island, Japan. Atmos Chem Phys, 12: 2713–2723

Morris S C. 1993. The fossil record and the early evolution of the Metazoa. Nature, 361: 219–225

Nicklas R W, Puchtel I S, Ash R D, Piccoli P M, Hanski E, Nisbet E G, Waterton P, Pearson D G, Anbar A D. 2019. Secular mantle oxidation across the Archean-Proterozoic boundary: Evidence from V partitioning in komatiites and picrites. GeoChim CosmoChim Acta, 250: 49–75

Nowak D J, Hoehn R, Crane D E. 2007. Oxygen production by urban trees in the United States. Arboric Urban For, 33: 220–226

Nursall J R. 1959. Oxygen as a prerequisite to the origin of the metazoa. Nature, 183: 1170–1172

Och L M, Shields-Zhou G A. 2012. The Neoproterozoic oxygenation event: Environmental perturbations and biogeochemical cycling. Earth-Sci Rev, 110: 26–57

Olson S L, Ostrander C M, Gregory D D, Roy M, Anbar A D, Lyons T W. 2019. Volcanically modulated pyrite burial and ocean-atmosphere oxidation. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 506: 417–427

Oschlies A, Brandt P, Stramma L, Schmidtko S. 2018. Drivers and mechanisms of ocean deoxygenation. Nat Geosci, 11: 467–473

Overpeck J T, Cole J E. 2006. Abrupt change in Earth’s climate system. Annu Rev Environ Resour, 31: 1–31

Pavlov A A, Kasting J F. 2002. Mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes in archean sediments: Strong evidence for an anoxic archean atmosphere. Astrobiology, 2: 27–41

Payne J L, Boyer A G, Brown J H, Finnegan S, Kowalewski M, Krause R A, Lyons S K, McClain C R, McShea D W, Novack-Gottshall P M, Smith F A, Stempien J A, Wang S C. 2009. Two-phase increase in the maximum size of life over 3.5 billion years reflects biological innovation and environmental opportunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 106: 24–27

Payne J L, McClain C R, Boyer A G, Brown J H, Finnegan S, Kowalewski M, Krause Jr. R A, Lyons S K, McShea D W, Novack-Gottshall P M, Smith F A, Spaeth P, Stempien J A, Wang S C. 2011. The evolutionary consequences of oxygenic photosynthesis: A body size perspective. Photosynth Res, 107: 37–57

Petsch S T. 2014a. The Global Oxygen Cycle. In: Treatise on Geochemistry. Elsevier. 437–473, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00811-1

Petsch S T. 2014b. Weathering of Organic Carbon. In: Treatise on Geochemistry. Elsevier. 217–238, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.01013-5

Pierazzo E, Kring D A, Melosh H J. 1998. Hydrocode simulation of the Chicxulub impact event and the production of climatically active gases. J Geophys Res, 103: 28607–28625

Planavsky N J, Asael D, Hofmann A, Reinhard C T, Lalonde S V, Knudsen A, Wang X, Ossa Ossa F, Pecoits E, Smith A J B, Beukes N J, Bekker A, Johnson T M, Konhauser K O, Lyons T W, Rouxel O J. 2014. Evidence for oxygenic photosynthesis half a billion years before the Great Oxidation Event. Nat Geosci, 7: 283–286

Pörtner H O, Peck M A. 2010. Climate change effects on fishes and fisheries: Towards a cause-and-effect understanding. J Fish Biol, 77: 1745–1779

Poulsen C J, Tabor C, White J D. 2015. Long-term climate forcing by atmospheric oxygen concentrations. Science, 348: 1238–1241

Prince E D, Goodyear C P. 2006. Hypoxia-based habitat compression of tropical pelagic fishes. Fisheries Oceanogr, 15: 451–464

Rasmussen B, Buick R. 1999. Redox state of the Archean atmosphere: Evidence from detrital heavy minerals in ca. 3250–2750 Ma sandstones from the Pilbara Craton, Australia. Geology, 27: 115

Raymond J, Segrè D. 2006. The effect of oxygen on biochemical networks and the evolution of complex life. Science, 311: 1764–1767

Reinhard C T, Fischer W W. 2019. Mechanistic links between the sedimentary redox cycle and marine acid-base chemistry. Geochem Geophys Geosyst, 20: 5968–5978

Reinhard C T, Planavsky N J, Olson S L, Lyons T W, Erwin D H. 2016. Earth’s oxygen cycle and the evolution of animal life. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 113: 8933–8938

Renne P R, Sprain C J, Richards M A, Self S, Vanderkluysen L, Pande K. 2015. State shift in Deccan volcanism at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, possibly induced by impact. Science, 350: 76–78

Robertson D S, McKenna M C, Toon O B, Hope S, Lillegraven J A. 2004. Survival in the first hours of the Cenozoic. Geo Soc Am Bull, 116: 760

Rogner H H, Aguilera R F, Archer C L, Bertani R, Bhattacharya S C, Dusseault M B, Gagnon L, Haberl H., Hoogwijk M, Johnson A, Rogner M L, Wagner H, Yakushev V, Arent D J, Bryden I, Krausmann F, Odell P, Schillings C, Shafiei A. 2012. Chapter 7 - Energy resources and potentials. In: Team G E A W, ed. Global Energy Assessment—Toward a Sustainable Future. Cambridge University Press and IIASA. 423–512, doi: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3049.8724

Rosing M T, Frei R. 2004. U-rich Archaean sea-floor sediments from Greenland—Indications of >3700 Ma oxygenic photosynthesis. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 217: 237–244

Ruddiman W F. 2018. Three flaws in defining a formal ‘Anthropocene’. Prog Phys Geography-Earth Environ, 42: 451–461

Rutten M G. 1966. Geologic data on atmospheric history. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 2: 47–57

Rye R, Holland H D. 1998. Paleosols and the evolution of atmospheric oxygen: A critical review. Am J Sci, 298: 621–672

Sahoo S K, Planavsky N J, Jiang G, Kendall B, Owens J D, Wang X, Shi X, Anbar A D, Lyons T W. 2016. Oceanic oxygenation events in the anoxic Ediacaran ocean. Geobiology, 14: 457–468

Schimel D S. 1995. Terrestrial ecosystems and the carbon cycle. Glob Change Biol, 1: 77–91

Schmidtko S, Stramma L, Visbeck M. 2017. Decline in global oceanic oxygen content during the past five decades. Nature, 542: 335–339

Schoene B, Eddy M P, Samperton K M, Keller C B, Keller G, Adatte T, Khadri S F R. 2019. U-Pb constraints on pulsed eruption of the Deccan Traps across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Science, 363: 862–866

Schulte P, Alegret L, Arenillas I, Arz J A, Barton P J, Bown P R, Bralower T J, Christeson G L, Claeys P, Cockell C S, Collins G S, Deutsch A, Goldin T J, Goto K, Grajales-Nishimura J M, Grieve R A F, Gulick S P S, Johnson K R, Kiessling W, Koeberl C, Kring D A, MacLeod K G, Matsui T, Melosh J, Montanari A, Morgan J V, Neal C R, Nichols D J, Norris R D, Pierazzo E, Ravizza G, Rebolledo-Vieyra M, Reimold W U, Robin E, Salge T, Speijer R P, Sweet A R, Urrutia-Fucugauchi J, Vajda V, Whalen M T, Willumsen P S. 2010. The Chicxulub asteroid impact and mass extinction at the cretaceous-paleogene boundary. Science, 327: 1214–1218

Schulte P, Deutsch A, Salge T, Berndt J, Kontny A, MacLeod K G, Neuser R D, Krumm S. 2009. A dual-layer Chicxulub ejecta sequence with shocked carbonates from the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary, Demerara Rise, western Atlantic. GeoChim CosmoChim Acta, 73: 1180–1204

Seibel B A. 2011. Critical oxygen levels and metabolic suppression in oceanic oxygen minimum zones. J Exp Biol, 214: 326–336

Severinghaus J P, Broecker W S, Dempster W F, MacCallum T, Wahlen M. 1994. Oxygen loss in biosphere 2. Eos Trans AGU, 75: 33–37

Shaffer G, Olsen S M, Pedersen J O P. 2009. Long-term ocean oxygen depletion in response to carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Nat Geosci, 2: 105–109

Shen S, Crowley J L, Wang Y, Bowring S A, Erwin D H, Sadler P M, Cao C, Rothman D H, Henderson C M, Ramezani J, Zhang H, Shen Y, Wang X, Wang W, Mu L, Li W, Tang Y, Liu X, Liu L, Zeng Y, Jiang Y, Jin Y. 2011. Calibrating the end-permian mass extinction. Science, 334: 1367–1372

Shen S Z, Zhang H. 2017. What caused the five mass extinctions? (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull, 62: 1119–1135

Shen S Z, Ramezani J, Chen J, Cao C Q, Erwin D H, Zhang H, Xiang L, Schoepfer S D, Henderson C M, Zheng Q F, Bowring S A, Wang Y, Li X H, Wang X D, Yuan D X, Zhang Y C, Mu L, Wang J, Wu Y S. 2019. A sudden end-Permian mass extinction in South China. GSA Bull, 131: 205–223

Shepherd J G, Brewer P G, Oschlies A, Watson A J. 2017. Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world: Introduction and overview. Phil Trans R Soc A, 375: 20170240

Shi P, Chen Y, Zhang A, He Y, Gao M, Yang J, Mao R, Wu J, Ye T, Xiao C, Xu B. 2019. Factors contribution to oxygen concentration in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull, 64: 715–724

Shields G A, Mills B J W, Zhu M, Raub T D, Daines S J, Lenton T M. 2019. Unique Neoproterozoic carbon isotope excursions sustained by coupled evaporite dissolution and pyrite burial. Nat Geosci, 12: 823–827

Shonting D, Ezrailson C. 2017. A Scenario for the Chicxulub Impact and Energies. In: Chicxulub: The Impact and Tsunami. Springer International Publishing, Cham. 43–68, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39487-9_3

Shu D. 2008. Cambrian explosion: Birth of tree of animals. Gondwana Res, 14: 219–240

Shu D G, Conway Morris S, Zhang Z F, Han J. 2010. The earliest history of the deuterostomes: The importance of the Chengjiang Fossil-Lagerstätte. Proc R Soc B, 277: 165–174

Smit M A, Mezger K. 2017. Earth’s early O 2 cycle suppressed by primitive continents. Nat Geosci, 10: 788–792

Smith F A, Payne J L, Heim N A, Balk M A, Finnegan S, Kowalewski M, Lyons S K, McClain C R, McShea D W, Novack-Gottshall P M, Anich P S, Wang S C. 2016. Body size evolution across the geozoic. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci, 44: 523–553

Soo R M, Hemp J, Parks D H, Fischer W W, Hugenholtz P. 2017. On the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis and aerobic respiration in Cyanobacteria. Science, 355: 1436–1440

Sprain C J, Renne P R, Vanderkluysen L, Pande K, Self S, Mittal T. 2019. The eruptive tempo of Deccan volcanism in relation to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Science, 363: 866–870

Steffen W, Broadgate W, Deutsch L, Gaffney O, Ludwig C. 2015. The trajectory of the Anthropocene: The great acceleration. Anthropocene Rev, 2: 81–98

Steffen W, Rockström J, Richardson K, Lenton T M, Folke C, Liverman D, Summerhayes C P, Barnosky A D, Cornell S E, Crucifix M, Donges J F, Fetzer I, Lade S J, Scheffer M, Winkelmann R, Schellnhuber H J. 2018. Trajectories of the Earth system in the Anthropocene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 115: 8252–8259

Stolper D A, Bender M L, Dreyfus G B, Yan Y, Higgins J A. 2016. A Pleistocene ice core record of atmospheric O 2 concentrations. Science, 353: 1427–1430

Sun Y, Joachimski M M, Wignall P B, Yan C, Chen Y, Jiang H, Wang L, Lai X. 2012. Lethally hot temperatures during the early triassic greenhouse. Science, 338: 366–370

Vellekoop J, Woelders L, van Helmond N A G M, Galeotti S, Smit J, Slomp C P, Brinkhuis H, Claeys P, Speijer R P. 2018. Shelf hypoxia in response to global warming after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary impact. Geology, 46: 683–686

Vingrys A J, Garner L F. 1987. The effect of a moderate level of hypoxia on human color vision. Doc Ophthalmol, 66: 171–185

Wade D C, Abraham N L, Farnsworth A, Valdes P J, Bragg F, Archibald A T. 2019. Simulating the climate response to atmospheric oxygen variability in the Phanerozoic: A focus on the Holocene, Cretaceous and Permian. Clim Past, 15: 1463–1483

Wang M, Yan G, Yu L, Xie W, Dai Y. 2019. Effects of different artificial oxygen-supply systems on migrants’ physical and psychological reactions in high-altitude tunnel construction. Building Environ, 149: 458–467

Waters C N, Zalasiewicz J, Summerhayes C, Barnosky A D, Poirier C, Gałuszka A, Cearreta A, Edgeworth M, Ellis E C, Ellis M, Jeandel C, Leinfelder R, McNeill J R, Richter D B, Steffen W, Syvitski J, Vidas D, Wagreich M, Williams M, Zhisheng A, Grinevald J, Odada E, Oreskes N, Wolfe A P. 2016. The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene. Science, 351: aad2622

Wishner K F, Seibel B A, Roman C, Deutsch C, Outram D, Shaw C T, Birk M A, Mislan K A S, Adams T J, Moore D, Riley S. 2018. Ocean deoxygenation and zooplankton: Very small oxygen differences matter. Sci Adv, 4: eaau5180

Xiang L, Zhang H, Schoepfer S D, Cao C, Zheng Q, Yuan D, Cai Y, Shen S. 2020. Oceanic redox evolution around the end-Permian mass extinction at Meishan, South China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 544: 109626

Yang D, Guo X, Xie T, Luo X. 2018. Reactive oxygen species may play an essential role in driving biological evolution: The Cambrian Explosion as an example. J Environ Sci, 63: 218–226

Zahnle K, Claire M, Catling D. 2006. The loss of mass-independent fractionation in sulfur due to a Palaeoproterozoic collapse of atmospheric methane. Geobiology, 4: 271–283

Zahnle K J, Catling D C, Claire M W. 2013. The rise of oxygen and the hydrogen hourglass. Chem Geol, 362: 26–34

Zamudio S, Postigo L, Illsley N P, Rodriguez C, Heredia G, Brimacombe M, Echalar L, Torricos T, Tellez W, Maldonado I, Balanza E, Alvarez T, Ameller J, Vargas E. 2007. Maternal oxygen delivery is not related to altitude- and ancestry-associated differences in human fetal growth. J Physiol, 582: 883–895

Zeebe R E, Ridgwell A, Zachos J C. 2016. Anthropogenic carbon release rate unprecedented during the past 66 million years. Nat Geosci, 9: 325–329

Zhang F, Dahl T W, Lenton T M, Luo G, Shen S, Algeo T J, Planavsky N, Liu J, Cui Y, Qie W, Romaniello S J, Anbar A D. 2020. Extensive marine anoxia associated with the Late Devonian Hangenberg Crisis. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 533: 115976

Zhang F, Romaniello S J, Algeo T J, Lau K V, Clapham M E, Richoz S, Herrmann A D, Smith H, Horacek M, Anbar A D. 2018. Multiple episodes of extensive marine anoxia linked to global warming and continental weathering following the latest Permian mass extinction. Sci Adv, 4: e1602921

Zhang F, Shen S, Cui Y, Lenton T M, Dahl T W, Zhang H, Zheng Q, Wang W, Krainer K, Anbar A D. 2020. Two distinct episodes of marine anoxia during the Permian-Triassic crisis evidenced by uranium isotopes in marine dolostones. GeoChim CosmoChim Acta, 287: 165–179

Zhang X L, Shu D G. 2014. Causes and consequences of the Cambrian explosion. Sci China Earth Sci, 57: 930–942

Zimmer C. 2013. The Mystery of Earth’s Oxygen. New York Times. URL https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/science/earths-oxygen-a-mystery-easy-to-take-for-granted.html (accessed 2.22.20)

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41888101, 41521004 & 41991231), and the China University Research Talents Recruitment Program (111 Projects, Grant No. B13045) .

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Jianping Huang, Xiaoyue Liu, Changyu Li, Lijie Yao & Jiping Huang

CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

Jianping Huang

State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

Yongsheng He & Shuguang Li

School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China

Shuzhong Shen

LPS, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

National Science Foundation of China, Beijing, 100085, China

Zengqian Hou

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jianping Huang .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Huang, J., Liu, X., He, Y. et al. The oxygen cycle and a habitable Earth. Sci. China Earth Sci. 64 , 511–528 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9747-1

Download citation

Received : 16 December 2020

Revised : 15 January 2021

Accepted : 24 February 2021

Published : 17 March 2021

Issue Date : April 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9747-1

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Oxygen cycle
• Habitable earth
• Mass extinction
• Anthropocene
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Oxygen cycle: Definition, properties, and significance

October 18, 2021 Dr. Asha Jyoti Biochemistry 0

Table of Contents

Introduction

Earth is the home of various plants and organisms. A relationship has developed between the organisms and the natural environment through mutual interaction. The plant receives the essential nutrients from the soil i.e. inert environment. Nutrients are transferred through various processes. After the death of plants and animals, that element is re-entered in the physical environment. In this way, the cyclical flow of nutrients continues. The oxygen cycle is one such natural cycle and is described below.

A few basic substances or elements are especially needed to sustain life. These 6 elements are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. These elements are found in large quantities in the human body.

Organisms use them in almost every aspect of life. As a result of continuous use from the earliest times of creation, they do not end at once. Because there is a cyclical flow of all these substances between the environment and the organism. This cyclical flow results in the formation of various natural cycles (1) .

What is an oxygen cycle?

Oxygen is the primary and most essential element for the survival of an organism. The oxygen cycle refers to the transformation of oxygen in various forms through nature.

Oxygen, an essential element of life, circulates from the environment to the organism and from the organism to the environment to form the oxygen cycle. Just as this element helps the organisms to survive, it also originates from the organism.

The oxygen cycle is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles. This cycle causes an endless cyclical flow of oxygen in the atmosphere. It is not possible for an organism to survive without oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen cycle is the vital cycle for the survival of all species (2) & (4) .

The controlled cyclic process by which the oxygen in the atmosphere rotates from the environment to the organism’s body and from the organism’s body to the environment and maintains the balance of oxygen in the environment is called the oxygen cycle. The oxygen cycle is a gaseous biogeochemical cycle (3).

Sources of oxygen

Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe. It exists in the form of various compounds on Earth. The atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere are the primary places, where this element is found. The various sources of oxygen are as follows.

• At least half of the amount of oxygen in the world comes from the oceans. Scientists estimate that about 60- 80% of the oxygen produced on Earth comes from the oceans.
• The atmosphere is the main source of oxygen. The total amount of oxygen in the atmosphere is about 21%. Other forms of oxygen present in the atmosphere are water vapor (H₂O), ozone (O₃), and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
• Green plants release oxygen into the environment through photosynthesis . Plants absorb water and carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and produce glucose and oxygen.
• The liquid outer layer of the earth’s core contains other elements, including oxygen.
• Every year some amount of oxygen is added to the atmosphere as a result of the release of carbon dioxide and water from volcanic substances.
• The reduction of various mineral oxides also produces some oxygen.
• Various phytoplankton present in marine ecosystems produce large amounts of oxygen in photosynthesis processes. One of the largest sources of oxygen on earth is the phytoplankton, located near the surface of the ocean. Phytoplankton is small plants. They are abundant in the oceans and they produce a lot of oxygen (5) & (6) .

Properties of the oxygen cycle

Oxygen is a vital non-metallic element for living organisms. This oxygen rotates in a circular way from the atmosphere to the organism’s body and from the organism’s body to the atmosphere to form an oxygen cycle. The symbol of this element is O and the atomic number is 8. There are some characteristics of the oxygen cycle.

1. The oxygen cycle is the most significant biogeochemical cycle that is constantly moving

2. This cycle is the movement of oxygen between the four main reservoirs: the atmosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere.

3. The oxygen cycle maintains the balance of oxygen (O₂) in the atmosphere.

4. An essential element in the human body, water contains one molecule of oxygen.

5. The oxygen in the oxygen cycle helps to control the various physiological and metabolic activities of the organism.

6. Oxygen acts as an essential component of proteins and nucleic acids in the human body.

7. It makes up about 30% of the earth and 20% of the atmosphere by this oxygen cycle.

8. The rotation of oxygen in the oxygen cycle helps in the rotation of other elements in the biosphere.

9. Chemically, oxygen is a highly active gas because it combines with most of the elements in the biosphere.

10. Oxygen makes up about 70% of living substances.

11. The oxygen cycle in the biosphere is very complex because it contains many chemical forms of oxygen (2) & (3) .

Explain oxygen cycle

The oxygen cycle is considered to be a complex biogeochemical cycle. This cycle is completed in two steps.

1. Removal of oxygen from the environment

Oxygen is released from the environment by various processes.

1. All the animals present in the environment receive oxygen from the atmosphere for respiration. The result is a lack of oxygen in the atmosphere and environment.

2. During the combustion of fossil fuels (wood, coal, petroleum, diesel, kerosene, paper, etc.) the oxygen in the atmosphere is absorbed and the amount of oxygen decreases.

3. Oxygen is absorbed from the atmosphere during the formation of oxides of various minerals like copper, iron, lead, etc.

4. Large amounts of oxygen are removed from the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions or emission of heated igneous substances (4) & (5) .

2. Re-entry of oxygen into the environment

Oxygen re-enters the environment through certain methods.

1. In the process of photosynthesis, water is dissolved in chlorophyll-containing space in the presence of sunlight and turns into hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. Water and oxygen molecules are formed again from those hydroxyl ions. And re-entry of oxygen into the atmosphere. As a result, oxygen balance is maintained in the atmosphere.

H₂O → H⁺ + OH⁻

4OH → 2H₂O + O₂ ↑

2. At high levels of the atmosphere, the sun’s ultraviolet rays cause water vapor to dissolve into water and oxygen molecules and marge into the atmosphere.

3. A small amount of oxygen is produced from the ozone gas off the coast and re-enters the atmosphere.

4. Animals take in oxygen from the air during respiration. It is mixed with soil during excretion. The plant absorbed that oxygen-mixed water from the soil with the help of roots. During photosynthesis, it dissolves in the atmosphere in the form of oxygen.

Atmosphere → animal body → excretory substances in soil → plant → atmosphere (3) & (7) .

Relationship between oxygen cycle and carbon cycle

The oxygen cycle and the carbon cycle are intimately involved in the environment. In the oxygen cycle, the oxygen produced by the carbon cycle is used for the respiration of plants and animals, and the carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

On the other hand, green plants are present in the carbon cycle using the carbon dioxide produced by the oxygen cycle during the process of photosynthesis, and oxygen (O₂)  is released into the environment.

After all, the cycle of oxygen and carbon continues uninterrupted at the same time. So the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the environment is balanced (1) & (4) .

Significance of oxygen cycle

It is an ever-moving process. It is completed by the inflow of oxygen from the physical environment or atmosphere to the biosphere or living environment and the outflow of oxygen from the biosphere or living environment to the physical environment or atmosphere. This is a very important cycle in the whole of the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

1. Maintains the balance

It helps to maintain the balance of oxygen between the physical environment and the biosphere.

2. Important for respiration

The energy required to regulate the metabolism of an organism is mainly due to respiration. The respiratory function requires a constant supply of oxygen to every living cell.

As a result of the constant oxygen uptake by the organism, the oxygen gas (O₂) would be depleted. But the supply of oxygen in the environment never ends through the oxygen cycle. Thus maintaining the balance of oxygen in the environment is the main significance of the oxygen cycle.

3. The oxygen cycle also balances the carbon cycle.

The presence of oxygen is essential for the combustion and decomposition of organic matter. This element oxidizes organic matter to produce carbon dioxide gas. As a result, the balance of carbon dioxide in the environment is never-ending.

4. Ozone formation

Oxygen is converted to ozone gas through certain chemical processes. This ozone gas creates a layer of coating called the ozone layer on the surface of the atmosphere. This layer protects the living world from destruction by absorbing various harmful cosmic rays and ultraviolet rays of the sun.

5. Oxygen cycle

The oxygen cycle maintains an uninterrupted supply of oxygen, which is an essential element for all plants and animals (3) & (7) .

The oxygen (O₂)  cycle is a biological process that helps maintain oxygen levels through the earth’s three main regions, such as the atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. It has a significant impact on the environment and fauna.

This cycle also plays a vital role in the ecosystem. These biochemical substances explain the movement of oxygen gases in the atmosphere, ecosystems, fauna, and the lithosphere. The sum of the earth’s ecosystems creates a living world. This oxygen cycle is the main basis of the existence of the whole organism.

Written By: Manisha Bharati

Copyright © 2024 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes

• Why Does Water Expand When It Freezes
• Gold Foil Experiment
• Faraday Cage
• Oil Drop Experiment
• Magnetic Monopole
• Why Do Fireflies Light Up
• Types of Blood Cells With Their Structure, and Functions
• The Main Parts of a Plant With Their Functions
• Parts of a Flower With Their Structure and Functions
• Parts of a Leaf With Their Structure and Functions
• Why Does Ice Float on Water
• Why Does Oil Float on Water
• How Do Clouds Form
• What Causes Lightning
• How are Diamonds Made
• Types of Meteorites
• Types of Volcanoes
• Types of Rocks

Oxygen Cycle

What is the oxygen cycle.

It is the process of biogeochemical transitions of oxygen atoms in its different forms in nature between the three main reservoirs of our ecosystem.

What are the Three Main Reservoirs of Oxygen in Nature

The atmosphere, biosphere , and lithosphere forms the three main reservoirs or sources of oxygen on earth.

The Three Steps of the Oxygen Cycle

1) production of free oxygen.

Occurs through the following processes:

• Photolysis – Ultraviolet radiation of the sun breaks down atmospheric water and nitrous oxide
• Photosynthesis – Plants make food and release oxygen as a byproduct
• Weathering – Oxygen-containing minerals in rocks gradually breaks down  

2) Utilizing the Free Oxygen

Involves the following processes:    

• Respiration – Animals take in oxygen from the atmosphere and use it to break down carbohydrates
• Decomposition – Invertebrates, including fungi, bacteria , and some insects decay the dead organic matter of plants and animals remains
• Combustion – Organic materials, including fossil fuels, plastics, and wood, are burned in the presence of oxygen
• Corrosion – Metals like iron or alloy rust when they are exposed to moisture and oxygen for an extended period, new compounds of oxides are formed by the combination of oxygen with the metal

3) Utilizing Carbon Dioxide and Releasing Oxygen Back

Carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is again utilized by green plants with the help of:

• Photosynthesis – Plants utilize the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere for preparing food, thus completing the cycle

Importance of the Oxygen Cycle in Nature

• Maintaining the oxygen level in the atmosphere which helps to carry out important physiological processes such as respiration and photosynthesis
• Helping in the proper functioning of the carbon cycle since the oxygen and carbon cycle are interconnected
• Facilitating other biogeochemical cycles such as nitrogen and sulfur cycles to continue since oxygen binds and forms stable compounds with other molecules
• Sustaining the aquatic ecosystem present beneath the surface
• Forming the outer layer of earth’s crust, the lithosphere

How Do Humans Affect the Oxygen Cycle

Human activities release excess carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and some other harmful gases into the atmosphere, thus decreasing the concentration of oxygen in the following ways:   

• Indiscriminate cutting of trees or deforestation 
• Much higher human birth rate compared to death rate
• Effluents from vehicles, industries, and burning of fossil fuels

Deforestation naturally leads to lower oxygen levels in air as it eliminates the main source of oxygen production. It consecutively increases the concentration of carbon dioxide as well.

Global warming decreases the solubility and concentration of oxygen in the waters of lakes, rivers, and oceans, thus severely affecting life in the aquatic ecosystem.

Oxygen enters the atmosphere through the process of photolysis, which is the first step of the oxygen cycle.

Phytoplankton participate in the oxygen cycle in the same manner as terrestrial plants. But being aquatic plants, they perform photosynthesis under water to produce oxygen for the survival of aquatic animals.

The two major processes involved in the oxygen cycle are photosynthesis and respiration.

The carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen cycles are similar because they all are biogeochemical cycles showing the continuous utilization and replacement of those three elements with the help of interactions between the living and non-living elements of the earth.

Article was last reviewed on Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Related articles

3 responses to “Oxygen Cycle”

Hello, Can i use the photo as reference for my project?

Yes, but please give due credit to the website

Can I use this as reference?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Popular Articles

Join our Newsletter

Fill your E-mail Address

Related Worksheets

• Privacy Policy

© 2024 ( Science Facts ). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Advanced Search

• Latest Issue
• Cover Stories
• Information for authors
• Sample article
• Permission to Reuse Content
• Editorial Board(2023-2027)
• Editorial Board(2018-2022)
• Editorial Office

About SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences

No. 16 Donghuangchenggen North Street, Beijing, China

Chinese Academy of Sciences

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Science China Press

China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.

Integrated Info

Register system info, interesting search.

NetworkPositioning Search results

View all results from this journal/book

Top 5 Related Articles

Geography Notes

Oxygen cycle: term paper on oxygen cycle | atmosphere | geography.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

After reading this term paper you will learn about the composition of oxygen cycle present in the atmosphere.

The sequence in which oxygen from the atmosphere is used by organisms and eventually released back into the atmosphere through photosynthesis is called as oxygen cycle.

1. Oxygen makes up 21 percent of the air. It is an essential constituent of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and nucleic acids.

2. Oxygen is found in air, in combined form as carbon dioxide, and in the earth’s crust as carbonates, sulphates and nitrates.

3. Plants and animals use atmospheric oxygen during respiration and release the same during photosynthesis.

4. Fossil fuels require oxygen for combustion.

5. The ozone layer is present in the stratosphere, one of the layers of the atmosphere. Each molecule of ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms. The ozone layer prevents harmful radiations from reaching the earth’s surface, where they might damage life forms.

Ozone Layer:

Ozone is a natural gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Its chemical formula is O 3 . It is blue in color and has a strong odor. Normal oxygen (O 2 ), which we breathe, has two oxygen atoms and is colorless and odorless.

The air is full of gases reacting with each other, even though our eyes do not see. When UV light strikes (Oxygen) O, molecules, they split into two individual O atoms — O and O. When one of the O atoms combine with O 2 molecule, ozone (O 3 ) is created.

The rays from the sun contain Ultra Violet Rays (UV Rays). UV rays are not all bad as they are good source of Vitamin D. But too much of it is very dangerous. Manufacturing activities since the industrial revolution have caused a disturbance in the atmosphere and opened up for more UV rays to come through to the earth. There have been serious consequences, and potentially it can get worse if we do not act responsibly.

Ozone Depletion:

Industries that manufacture things like insulating foams, solvents, soaps, cooling things like air conditioners, refrigerators and ‘take-away’ containers use something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Ultra violet radiation from the sun breaks up these CFCs. The breaking up action releases Chlorine atoms. Chlorine atoms react with ozone, starting a chemical cycle that destroys the ozone in that area.

Related Articles:

• Term Paper on the Troposphere | Atmosphere | Earth | Geography
• Nitrogen Cycle: Term Paper on Nitrogen Cycle | Atmosphere | Geography
• Carbon Cycle: Term Paper on Carbon Cycle | Atmosphere | Geography
• Water Cycle: Term Paper on Water Cycle | Atmosphere | Geography

Term Paper , Geography , Atmosphere , Oxygen Cycle , Term Paper on Oxygen Cycle

Privacy Overview

• Breathing - The scientific name for breathing is respiration. All animals and plants use up oxygen when they breathe. They breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
• Decomposing - When plants and animals die, they decompose. This process uses up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
• Rusting - This is also called oxidation. When things rust they use up oxygen.
• Combustion - There are three things needed for fire: oxygen, fuel, and heat. Without oxygen you can't have a fire. When things burn, they use up oxygen and replace it with carbon dioxide.
• Plants - Plants create the majority of the oxygen we breathe through a process called photosynthesis. In this process plants use carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to create energy. In the process they also create oxygen which they release into the air.
• Sunlight - Some oxygen is produced when sunlight reacts with water vapor in the atmosphere.
• Even though fish breathe under water they still breathe oxygen. Their gills extract the oxygen from the water.
• There is a lot of oxygen stored up in the oxide minerals of the Earth's crust. However, this oxygen isn't available for us to breathe.
• One of the biggest sources of oxygen is phytoplankton that live near the surface of the ocean. Phytoplankton are tiny plants, but there are lots of them.
• Take a ten question quiz about this page.
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Back to Kids Science Page

Back to Kids Study Page

• COVID-19 Tracker
• Biochemistry
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Microbiology
• Neuroscience
• Animal Kingdom
• NGSS High School
• Latest News
• Editors’ Picks
• Weekly Digest
• Quotes about Biology

Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Cycle

Reviewed by: BD Editors

The oxygen cycle and the carbon dioxide cycle (carbon cycle) are two of the biogeochemical cycles on Earth that make life possible. They act separately but are dependent on each other because the carbon cycle gives off oxygen for the oxygen cycle to use, and in turn, the oxygen cycle emits carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) which goes back into the carbon cycle. Plants are the main vehicle by which the oxygen and carbon cycles are connected. Respiration, combustion and decomposition are three other ways that CO 2 and/or oxygen is released back into the atmosphere. Another biogeochemical cycle, the hydrogen cycle, connects some of the pathways in nature that are involved in the carbon and oxygen cycles.

The Oxygen Cycle

Photosynthesis is the driver of the oxygen cycle. In this process, plants transform CO 2 and water into sugars to use in their metabolism, help them to grow and to provide food for other organisms. The atmosphere, the total content of biological matter on the planet and the Earth’s crust are the three main reservoirs of oxygen. About 20% of the Earth’s atmosphere is composed of molecular oxygen. Some atmospheric oxygen is in the form of ozone (CO 3 ) which makes up the ozone layer and absorbs much of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, protecting the planet surface. Scientists think that early in the Earth’s history, oxygen was first released into the atmosphere by the action of ultraviolet light on water vapor.

The Carbon Cycle

Life on Earth is based on carbon. The carbon reservoirs are the atmosphere, the biosphere, the oceans, sediments (including fossil fuels) and the mantle and crust of the planet. Carbon dioxide and methane are the two principal forms of carbon in the atmosphere. Plants take in CO 2 and water to create sugars like glucose through the process of photosynthesis. The plants then release oxygen and water vapor as byproducts. The oxygen goes back into the oxygen cycle and the water vapor enters the water cycle. Without plants, CO 2 would build up to dangerous levels in the atmosphere and add to the greenhouse effect. About 500 gigatons of carbon are stored in the plants and animals that live on the surface of the planet and the soil holds about 1,500 gigatons.

Like the carbon that is used during photosynthesis, the carbon in the oceans, sediments, mantle and crust of the planet has been moving through the carbon cycle for hundreds of millions of years. Carbon can be cycled through the various processes over the course of days, weeks, months or years. It can take tens of millions of years for carbon stored in the ocean floor to be released, if it is ever released at all. Volcanic eruptions are one way that carbon-containing molecules from deep within the planet are released to the surface. The combination of burning fossil fuels (releasing CO 2 ) and deforestation (reducing photosynthesis and carbon storage) caused by humans is disrupting the carbon cycle in a negative way.

Respiration, Combustion and Decomposition

Respiration.

Cellular respiration is the process by which animals take in sugars and oxygen and emit CO 2 , water and energy. Insects, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians all respire in some fashion by using specialized systems and pathways that have evolved over millions of years of natural selection.

CO 2 is released into the atmosphere by natural combustion in several ways including volcanic eruptions and forest fires. As was mentioned earlier, the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities has had an alarming impact on the Earths carbon cycle. This is evidenced by the increase in carbon release due to human activity from 1 billion tons in 1940 to over 6 billion tons by the year 2000, and continues to increase to this day. There is a limit to the amount of carbon that the oceans and plants can take up, so the rest remains in the atmosphere and increases the greenhouse effect, causing climate change.

Decomposition

When a plant or animal dies, the carbon and oxygen and other components like water, calcium, nitrogen, etc. are returned to the soil and air through the process of decomposition. Fungi, bacteria and some insects (called decomposers) are responsible for decomposition, and most require oxygen to carry out the process.

Biogeochemical Cycles. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2017 from https://enviroliteracy.org/air-climate-weather/biogeochemical-cycles/ Carbon Cycle. (n.d.). In Wikipedia . Retrieved August 8, 2017 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_cycle Oxygen Cycle. (n.d.). In Wikipedia . Retrieved August 8, 2017 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_cycle

Cite This Article

Subscribe to our newsletter, privacy policy, terms of service, scholarship, latest posts, white blood cell, t cell immunity, satellite cells, embryonic stem cells, popular topics, translation, acetic acid, homeostasis, hydrochloric acid.

September 1, 1970

The Oxygen Cycle

The oxygen in the atmosphere was originally put there by plants. Hence the early plants made possible the evolution of the higher plants and animals that require free oxygen for their metabolism

By Aharon Gibor & Preston Cloud

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

High school biology - NGSS (DEPRECATED)

Course: high school biology - ngss (deprecated)   >   unit 4.

• Flow of energy and matter through ecosystems
• Impact of changes to trophic pyramids

Flow of energy and cycling of matter in ecosystems

• Understand: flow of energy and cycling of matter in ecosystems
• Apply: flow of energy and cycling of matter in ecosystems

The movement of energy and matter in ecosystems

Energy and matter are conserved during ecosystem processes, food webs model matter and energy transfer, ecological pyramids model energy loss, what else should i know about trophic levels and food webs.

• Organisms can occupy more than one trophic level. Organisms are not limited to one trophic level. For example, omnivores (which eat plants and animals) can be classified as primary or secondary consumers.

Want to join the conversation?

• Upvote Button navigates to signup page
• Downvote Button navigates to signup page
• Flag Button navigates to signup page

• Biogeochemical Cycles

Have you ever wondered why our atmosphere never runs out of oxygen? Well that’s because trees and plants produce oxygen, right? But what if I told you no new oxygen is ever produced, it is only recycled. In fact, our planet never produces any new element, they all just move in a cyclic pattern called biogeochemical cycles. Let us learn more about them.

Suggested Videos

What is a Biogeochemical Cycle?

A biogeochemical cycle or an inorganic-organic cycle is a circulating or repeatable pathway by which either a chemical element or a molecule moves through both biotic (biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere) components of an ecosystem.

Let us try to understand this definition. Firstly let us understand that the Earth only receives energy from the Sun, all other elements on Earth remain within a closed system. These chemicals, however, are the building blocks of life, they are the raw materials all living organisms use as nutrients to produce energy. These chemicals are called biogeochemicals. Some of the main elements that are in a cyclic pattern are Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulphur and Water. Let us now take a look at few of these cycles.

You can download biogeochemical Cycles Cheat Sheet by clicking on the download button below

Carbon Cycle

Carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and the atmosphere of the Earth through a biogeochemical cycle called Carbon Cycle.

How do you differentiate between organic and inorganic matter? Well, this is decided by the presence of carbon in the matter. Essentially all organic matter contains carbon. Carbon cycle is the cyclic pattern that carbon follows on earth. By following the carbon cycle we can also study the flow of energy as the energy needed for life is stored between carbon molecules in organic matter as proteins and fats.

Learn more about Air and Air Pollution here in detail.

Carbon is also present in air as CO 2 , and in oceans as carbonates and bicarbonates, that also dissolve to generate CO 2 . Carbon is also present in soil (lithosphere) as fossil fuels. The primary source of removal of carbon from the atmosphere is when CO 2 is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis. The restock is done through respiration, combustion of fossil fuels, decomposition and chemical reactions that give out CO2.

Oxygen Cycle

After carbon, oxygen is one of the most abundant elements on earth. About 21% of our air is composed of oxygen. It is also an atom in the molecule of water (H 2 O). Oxide compounds, such as CO2 also contain oxygen.

As we are aware oxygen is absolutely essential for all living organisms to survive. It is the main component in respiration. It is also the element that allows and assists combustion of any kind. Through photosynthesis, the replenishment of oxygen in the atmosphere is done, where oxygen is one of the by-products. In fact, photosynthesis and respiration are interdependent mechanisms that perform a unique and amazing balancing.

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is available in abundance in our atmosphere (78%), however, this nitrogen is useless to animals and plants until it is converted to ammonia and other nitrogen compounds. This conversion process is called Nitrogen Fixation. And through a process is called denitrification, once these plants and animals are dead, this ammonia is broken down by bacteria and fungi and returned to the atmosphere as Nitrogen.

Learn more about Mineral Riches in the Soil here in detail.

Phosphorous Cycle

phosphorous moves in a cycle in our atmosphere via rocks, sediment, soil, water and living organisms. Over a long period of time weathering of rocks leads to phosphate ions and minerals being released into the soil and water. This is absorbed by living organisms who need phosphorous to build nucleic acids such as DNA. Then when these living organisms die, phosphates are released back into the soil.

There are still various other biogeochemical cycles such as water, rock, sulphur etc. The importance of these cycles is that they essentially support all life on the planet because without these cycles living organism would not get all the elements they need to survive.

Solved Example for You

Q: Which one of the following fixes CO2 into carbohydrates?

• Nitrobacter
• Rhodospirillum

Solution: The correct answer is “d”. Rhodospirillum is an anaerobic photosynthetic bacterium that uses carbon dioxide as a carbon source and converts it to carbohydrates.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Natural Resources

• Mineral Riches in the Soil
• Water and Water Pollution
• Air and Air Pollution

2 responses to “Air and Air Pollution”

is it possible to get the authors name and the date this was published? I need this for a paper.

Hi Josh, it was published on 19th January 2018 by Preksha Thakkar from Toppr.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Oxygen Cycle (Replacement of Oxygen in Air)

Atmosphere: An Introduction

The Atmosphere is the term referring to the gaseous encirclement of the Earth. The atmosphere rises many kilometres above the surface of the Earth. We occupy the Earth's atmosphere. For life to exist on Earth, the atmosphere is required. This is so that we, and all other living things, may breathe oxygen , which is provided by the atmosphere. The amount of air decreases as we ascend higher in the atmosphere. On very high mountain summits, the air is so thin that there is not enough oxygen for people to breathe normally.

As a result, those who scale high mountains do so with the aid of oxygen gas cylinders. To remain alive in these high mountains, they breathe oxygen from these cylinders. Due to differences in temperature and pressure at various altitudes, the atmosphere is separated into several concentric shells or spheres. The troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere are the four layers of the atmosphere.

Chemical Composition of Air

Nitrogen gas is the major component of air. About 99% of the elements that make up air are nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour, argon and carbon dioxide . Neon , methane , helium , krypton , hydrogen, xenon , ozone and several more substances are examples of trace gases. From one location to the next, and even depending on whether it is day or night, the makeup of the air differs.

Elements and Compounds in Air

Water Vapour Content in Air

Air can contain up to 5% water vapour; however, it usually only contains 1-3%. Water vapour is the third most prevalent gas in the 1% to 5% range (which alters the other percentages accordingly). Depending on the temperature of the air, water content changes. Humid air is less dense than dry air. In contrast, humid air that just includes water vapour occasionally contains actual water droplets, which can increase its density.

Replacement of Oxygen Element in Atmosphere

Living things constantly use the oxygen in the air to breathe. Fuels are also burned with oxygen. Plants constantly replace the oxygen that is exhaled and burned by humans and animals during photosynthesis. The words "photo" and "synthesis" both refer to the use of light. Green plants use carbon dioxide and water to manufacture their own food during the process of photosynthesis, which occurs in the presence of sunshine. Carbohydrates are processed as food while gaseous oxygen is released .

For photosynthesis, plants use water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Only green plants can carry out this process because they have chlorophyll, a green pigment that can absorb solar energy. As a result, it only occurs during the day, in contrast to breathing, which happens both during the day and at night. Although it is created during photosynthesis, glucose is preserved in plants as starch.

With the assistance of ambient oxygen, food is broken down during the respiration of plants and animals to produce carbon dioxide, water and energy. The respiration of living beings releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere whereas the photosynthesis of green plants removes it. Together, these two diametrically opposed processes maintain the same composition of the air. In other words, it maintains the necessary level of oxygen in the air by mixing with it and making it fresher during photosynthesis. Additionally, plants continuously consume carbon dioxide to maintain the necessary level in the atmosphere.

Importance of Oxygen Cycle

One of the most crucial elements of the earth's atmosphere is oxygen. It is primarily needed for:

Breathing - It is the physiological process by which all living things, including plants, animals and people, take in oxygen from their surroundings and release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

Combustion - It is also one of the most significant processes that take place when any organic substance, such as wood, plastic and fossil fuels, burns when oxygen is present and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Breakdown of Organic Waste - It takes place when an organism dies and is one of the most crucial natural processes in the oxygen cycle. The organic matter, which includes carbon , oxygen, water and other elements, returns to the soil and air as the deceased animal or plant decomposes into the earth. The invertebrates, sometimes known as the "decomposers," which include fungi, bacteria and some insects, carry out this activity. Carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is needed during the entire process.

Although oxygen is a vital component of life, some anaerobic bacteria may be poisonous to it (especially obligate anaerobes).

The oxygen cycle primarily works to keep the atmosphere's oxygen content stable. The complete process can be summed up as follows: the oxygen cycle starts with the process of photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight, releases oxygen back into the atmosphere and then links back to the plants. Humans and other animals then breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. This further demonstrates the independence and interdependence of the oxygen and carbon cycles.

Photosynthesis

Interesting Facts

Phytoplankton is one of the most significant producers of oxygen, followed by terrestrial plants and trees.

Oxygen is also produced when the sunlight reacts with water vapour present in the atmosphere.

A large amount of oxygen is stored in the earth’s crust in the form of oxides, which cannot be used for the respiration process as it is available in the combined state.

Aurora borealis, or northern lights, is produced by solar wind particles colliding with oxygen elements in the earth’s atmosphere.

Key Features

About 99% of the elements that make up air are nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour, argon and carbon.

Neon, methane, helium, krypton, hydrogen, xenon, ozone and several more substances are examples of trace gases.

Living things constantly use the oxygen in the air to breathe. Fuels are also burned with oxygen.

It is primarily needed for Breathing/Combustion, keeping aquatic life alive, and the breakdown of organic waste.

FAQs on Oxygen Cycle (Replacement of Oxygen in Air)

1. What is a biogeochemical cycle?

The flow of nutrients and other elements between biotic and abiotic forces is referred to as "biogeochemical cycles." The words "bio" and "geo," which refer to the biosphere, "geo" and "chemical," which refer to the elements that flow through a cycle, are the roots of the term "biogeochemical.

2. Which is the hottest layer of the atmosphere?

The thermosphere is the hottest layer of the atmosphere because it contains the fewest molecules and atoms, making it possible for even modest amounts of solar energy to considerably raise the air's temperature.

3. Why is oxygen considered an element?

Since it cannot be decomposed further, oxygen is regarded as an element. Elements are unadulterated materials that combine to form an atom. The simplest building components into which matter may be divided using only chemical processes are the elements. On the periodic table, oxygen is represented by the atomic number eight. Air is a mixture of primarily oxygen and nitrogen, which makes it a substance. Even though oxygen gas molecules are formed of two oxygen atoms covalently bound together, oxygen is still regarded as an element.

The Oxygen Cycle

Table of Contents

Introduction to Oxygen Cycle

Imagine taking a deep breath of fresh air and feeling the surge of energy as oxygen fills your lungs. Oxygen is vital for all life forms on Earth, from tiny microorganisms to towering trees and majestic animals. But have you ever wondered how oxygen circulates and replenishes itself in our environment? Enter the fascinating world of the oxygen cycle.

Fill Out the Form for Expert Academic Guidance!

Please indicate your interest Live Classes Books Test Series Self Learning

Verify OTP Code (required)

I agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy .

Fill complete details

Target Exam ---

The oxygen cycle is a biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement and transformation of oxygen molecules in various forms through the Earth’s biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. It is an essential process that ensures the continuous availability of oxygen for respiration and sustains life on our planet.

Process of Oxygen Cycle

Oxygen Production: The first stage of the oxygen cycle involves the production of oxygen through photosynthesis. Plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen and glucose. During this process, oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a by product.

Oxygen Consumption: In the second stage, organisms engage in respiration, consuming oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product. Plants and animals alike rely on oxygen for cellular respiration, where glucose is broken down to produce energy. This stage ensures the availability of oxygen for metabolic processes in living organisms.

Oxygen Exchange: The third stage of the oxygen cycle involves the exchange of gases between the atmosphere, plants, and oceans. Through various processes such as diffusion, air currents, and weather systems, oxygen is distributed throughout the atmosphere. Additionally, the exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the oceans helps maintain oxygen levels in aquatic ecosystems, supporting marine life.

These three stages work together to maintain the balance of oxygen in the atmosphere, supporting life on Earth. It is important to note that human activities can disrupt this cycle through activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, leading to imbalances in atmospheric composition and potentially affecting the health of ecosystems.

Oxygen Production

The primary source of oxygen in the atmosphere comes from photosynthesis, the remarkable process performed by plants, algae, and some bacteria. During photosynthesis, these organisms use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and glucose. Oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a by product, providing the breathable air that supports life.

Respiration

Respiration, both in plants and animals, plays a significant role in the oxygen cycle. During respiration, organisms consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide as a waste product. In this process, oxygen is used to break down glucose molecules, releasing energy that fuels various cellular activities. The released carbon dioxide can then be used by plants during photosynthesis to produce more oxygen, completing the cycle.

The Role of Decomposition

Decomposition is another crucial component of the oxygen cycle. When plants and animals die, their organic matter undergoes decomposition by bacteria and fungi. During this process, microorganisms consume the decaying matter and utilize oxygen for respiration. Decomposition returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and releases nutrients back into the soil, fostering the growth of new plants.

Oxygen in the Atmosphere

The Earth’s atmosphere contains approximately 21% oxygen, making it the second most abundant gas after nitrogen. The constant exchange of oxygen between the biosphere and the atmosphere ensures that there is a steady supply of this life-giving gas. Winds, air currents, and weather systems help distribute oxygen molecules across different regions, creating a balanced oxygen composition in the atmosphere.

The Ocean Connection

The oxygen cycle also encompasses the oceanic realm. The world’s oceans are vast reservoirs of oxygen. Marine plants, such as algae and phytoplankton, perform photosynthesis and contribute to the production of oxygen. Additionally, oceanic currents and wave action aid in the exchange of gases, allowing dissolved oxygen to be replenished in aquatic ecosystems and supporting the diverse marine life.

Human Impact on the Oxygen Cycle

Human activities have an impact on the delicate balance of the oxygen cycle. Deforestation, for example, reduces the number of trees available for photosynthesis, leading to decreased oxygen production. Burning fossil fuels and industrial emissions release excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, which can disrupt the balance of gases in the atmosphere. These changes can have profound effects on climate patterns, air quality, and overall environmental health.

The Oxygen Cycle and Climate Regulation

The oxygen cycle is closely intertwined with the carbon cycle and other biogeochemical cycles. Oxygen levels in the atmosphere play a crucial role in regulating climate. Through the process of photosynthesis, oxygen production helps remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, mitigating the greenhouse effect and stabilizing global temperatures. Therefore, the oxygen cycle and its interconnections with other cycles are essential for maintaining a habitable planet.

Biology Articles The Carbon Cycle Water Cycle Types of Soil

Uses of Oxygen cycle

• Oxygen is essential for the survival of living organisms, serving as a vital component of respiration.
• The oxygen cycle plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of oxygen in the atmosphere.
• It allows for the continuous production of oxygen through photosynthesis by plants, algae, and some bacteria.
• Oxygen is released into the atmosphere during photosynthesis, replenishing the oxygen levels.
• Organisms, including plants and animals, consume oxygen through respiration, using it for metabolic processes and energy production.
• During respiration, organisms release carbon dioxide as a byproduct, which can be utilized by plants during photosynthesis.
• The exchange of gases between the atmosphere, plants, and oceans helps distribute oxygen throughout the Earth’s systems.
• Oxygen is exchanged between the atmosphere and the oceans, supporting marine life and maintaining oxygen levels in aquatic ecosystems.
• The oxygen cycle is interconnected with other biogeochemical cycles, such as the carbon cycle, influencing the overall functioning of Earth’s ecosystems.
• Human activities can impact the oxygen cycle through activities like deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, leading to imbalances in atmospheric composition and potential consequences for ecosystems and human health.

In conclusion, the oxygen cycle is a remarkable process that sustains life as we know it. From the photosynthetic prowess of plants to the respiration of organisms, it ensures a constant supply of oxygen in our environment. Understanding and appreciating the intricacies of the oxygen cycle can inspire us to protect and preserve the delicate balance.

FAQs on Oxygen Cycle

What is the oxygen cycle.

The oxygen cycle refers to the continuous movement of oxygen between the atmosphere, living organisms, and the Earth's systems.

How does oxygen enter the atmosphere?

Oxygen enters the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis carried out by plants, algae, and some bacteria.

What organisms produce oxygen during photosynthesis?

Plants, algae, and some bacteria produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis.

How is oxygen consumed in the oxygen cycle?

Oxygen is consumed by organisms through the process of res

How does the oxygen cycle impact the environment?

The oxygen cycle supports the survival of various organisms and helps maintain the balance of gases in the atmosphere, which is vital for sustaining life on Earth.

Can human activities affect the oxygen cycle?

Yes, human activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels can disrupt the oxygen cycle by reducing the number of oxygen-producing plants and releasing excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

What are the consequences of oxygen imbalance in ecosystems?

An oxygen imbalance can lead to disturbances in aquatic ecosystems, harming marine life and impacting the overall functioning of ecosystems.

How is the oxygen cycle related to the carbon cycle?

The oxygen cycle and carbon cycle are closely linked as oxygen is released during photosynthesis and consumed during respiration, while carbon dioxide is released during respiration and absorbed during photosynthesis.

Is the oxygen cycle affected by climate change?

Climate change can indirectly affect the oxygen cycle by altering the distribution and behavior of plants and organisms, potentially impacting oxygen production and consumption processes.

Related content

Talk to our academic expert!

Language --- English Hindi Marathi Tamil Telugu Malayalam

Get access to free Mock Test and Master Class

Register to Get Free Mock Test and Study Material

Offer Ends in 5:00

Please select class

• Content Guidelines
• Privacy Policy

Upload Your Knowledge on Environmental Pollution:

Essay on the oxygen cycle | nutrient cycles | biosphere | environment.

In this essay we will discuss about the oxygen cycle with the help of a diagram.

Oxygen is about 20-84% in the atmosphere. Organisms respire aerobically in the presence of oxygen.During respiration, it combines with hydrogen to form water. It is found as a component of oxidised salts CO 2 arid H 2 O.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Oxygen enters the plants and animals through respiration during which carbohydrate or any other respiratory fuel is oxidized to form CO 2 and water. It is also used in combustion of wood, coal, petroleum etc. to yield CO 2 , SO 2 , water, oxides of nitrogen, etc. Microbial oxidation produces variety of oxides. The oxygen in the atmosphere is in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Organisms get it from air or water for oxidative reactions (respiration).

Oxygen is mainly produced during the photolysis of water in the light phase of photosynthesis. It is again made available to environment in combination with carbon in the form of CO 2 or with hydrogen as H 2 O. Oxygen is also released as a part of CO 2 due to death and decay of organic matter (Fig. 14.27).

Related Articles:

• Essay on the Phosphorus Cycle | Nutrient Cycles | Biosphere | Environment
• Essay on the Sulphur Cycle | Nutrient Cycles | Biosphere | Environment

Upload and Share Your Article:

• Description *
• Author Name *
• Author Email Id. (required) *
• File Drop files here or Select files Max. file size: 128 MB, Max. files: 5.
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Biosphere , Environment , Essay , Nutrient Cycles , Oxygen Cycle

Privacy Overview