The Phosphorus Cycle questions with
explained answers 2025.
Why is phosphorus important to living things? - ANSWER: It is a key component of cell
membranes and of several molecules essential to life, including DNA and RNA.
Where is phosphorus stored? - ANSWER: rocks, soil, sediment and the oceans
How do people obtain phosphorus? - ANSWER: from the water they drink and the
organisms they eat
How does the release of large amounts of phosphorus by humans cause problems? -
ANSWER: The addition of phosphorus to bodies of water can lead to an overgrowth of
producers (usually algae) in a process called eutrophication. In extreme cases,
eutrophication can lead to hypoxia, or extremely low levels of oxygen in a body of water,
as decomposers break down all the dead produces.
Law of conservation of matter - ANSWER: A principle that states that matter can be
transformed but cannot be created or destroyed.
Nutrient - ANSWER: matter that organisms need to live
Biogeochemical cycle - ANSWER: a complex cycle is which nutrients continuously
circulate through the environment
primary producer - ANSWER: an organism that produces its own food
photosynthesis - ANSWER: the process by which producers use carbon dioxide, water,
and sunlight to make their own food
explained answers 2025.
Why is phosphorus important to living things? - ANSWER: It is a key component of cell
membranes and of several molecules essential to life, including DNA and RNA.
Where is phosphorus stored? - ANSWER: rocks, soil, sediment and the oceans
How do people obtain phosphorus? - ANSWER: from the water they drink and the
organisms they eat
How does the release of large amounts of phosphorus by humans cause problems? -
ANSWER: The addition of phosphorus to bodies of water can lead to an overgrowth of
producers (usually algae) in a process called eutrophication. In extreme cases,
eutrophication can lead to hypoxia, or extremely low levels of oxygen in a body of water,
as decomposers break down all the dead produces.
Law of conservation of matter - ANSWER: A principle that states that matter can be
transformed but cannot be created or destroyed.
Nutrient - ANSWER: matter that organisms need to live
Biogeochemical cycle - ANSWER: a complex cycle is which nutrients continuously
circulate through the environment
primary producer - ANSWER: an organism that produces its own food
photosynthesis - ANSWER: the process by which producers use carbon dioxide, water,
and sunlight to make their own food
