carbon cycle
noun
1
: the cycle of carbon in the earth's ecosystems in which carbon dioxide is fixed by photosynthetic organisms to form organic nutrients and is ultimately restored to the inorganic state (as by respiration, protoplasmic decay, or combustion)
2
: a cycle of thermonuclear reactions in which four hydrogen atoms synthesize into a helium atom by the catalytic action of carbon with the release of nuclear energy and which is held to be the source of most of the energy radiated by the sun and stars
Examples of carbon cycle in a Sentence
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Losing such water content can lead to a breakdown in the carbon cycle, where silicate weathering stops removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and the planet experiences runaway climate change — the same process thought to have occurred on Venus, which may once have been habitable.
—
Tom Brown, Space.com, 6 Jan. 2025
At the core of the carbon cycle is photosynthesis, where plants, algae and select bacteria transform atmospheric CO2 into organic compounds using sunlight.
—Sahit Muja, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
These tiny, often overlooked, organisms might not possess the grandeur of whales or the mystique of deep-sea predators, but their role in the ocean’s carbon cycle could be nothing short of monumental.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
The carbon in their corpses — lignin, cellulose, fatty acids, proteins, and so on — feeds microorganisms that break down large molecules and return carbon dioxide to the air, completing the carbon cycle.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
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Tom Brown, Space.com, 6 Jan. 2025
At the core of the carbon cycle is photosynthesis, where plants, algae and select bacteria transform atmospheric CO2 into organic compounds using sunlight.
—Sahit Muja, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
These tiny, often overlooked, organisms might not possess the grandeur of whales or the mystique of deep-sea predators, but their role in the ocean’s carbon cycle could be nothing short of monumental.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
The carbon in their corpses — lignin, cellulose, fatty acids, proteins, and so on — feeds microorganisms that break down large molecules and return carbon dioxide to the air, completing the carbon cycle.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See all Example Sentences for carbon cycle
Dictionary Entries Near carbon cycle
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“Carbon cycle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20cycle. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
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