This phosphate bonds with the adenosine group to form AMP, ADP, ATP, and the like. Plants and other photosynthetic organisms are called primary producers, because they fix atmospheric CO2 into organic carbon, such as sugar, a form that is usable by animals and other organisms that need to consume their carbon molecules. They require light, and their net effect is to convert water molecules into oxygen, while producing ATP moleculesfrom ADP and Piand NADPH moleculesvia reduction of NADP+. Reactions of photosynthesis, where they take place, and their ecological importance. It is an essential process for the sustainability of life. carbon dioxide makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere, nutrient cycle recycles inorganic and organic material, greenhouse gases contributing to climate change, plants are buried and compacted over millions of years, gets converted into wood or plant material, The Dinosaur Era: When Dinosaurs Dominated, We Are Made of Stardust from Old Supernovas, How Trees Grow from Carbon Dioxide and Water, Theory of Evolution: Charles Darwin and Natural Selection, Long-Term Carbon Cycle: Carbon Dioxide to Hydrocarbons, Human Evolution: A Timeline of Early Hominids [Infographic]. You will learn more about methane later in this section. It is a key element in the food that sustains us. Photosynthesis - Carbon dioxide | Britannica Carbon is the chemical backbone of life on Earth. But there is an important mutual relationship between . The carbon can be released back to the atmosphere if the limestone melts or is metamorphosed in a subduction zone. By burning coal, oil, and natural gas, we accelerate the process, releasing vast amounts of carbon (carbon that took millions of years to accumulate) into the atmosphere every year. Thank you so much for such a clear and concise explanation with nice diagrams. Over the long term, the decomposition of dead matter generates these fossil fuel products. The combustion of biomass during wildfires also release large amounts of carbon stored in plants back into the atmosphere.