Key Terms for the Cycling Of Matter

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Cycle

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A series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order.

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Matter

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Substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume.

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Nutrient

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A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.

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Biogeochemical cycle

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The flow of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms and the physical environment.

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Nitrogen fixation

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The chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is assimilated into organic compounds, especially by certain microorganisms as part of the nitrogen cycle.

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Denitrification

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The loss or removal of nitrogen or nitrogen compounds; specifically, the reduction of nitrates or nitrites commonly by bacteria (as in soil) that usually results in the escape of nitrogen into the air.

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Photosynthesis

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The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

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Carbon Cycle

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The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, decay of dead organisms, and burning of fossil fuels.

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Evaporation

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The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor, part of the water cycle.