Carbon Cycle

4. The process of burning fuels
7. Another major carbon sink besides oceans
9. where organisms break down food to release energy and carbon dioxide
13. The element that is the basis of life on Earth
14. process by which plants take in carbon dioxide and use sunlight to make food
15. Oceans act as a large storage place for carbon, also called a carbon ______
18. Trees and plants that absorb carbon dioxide
19. Gas released when animals breathe out
20. When carbon moves from living things to the soil after death

1. Organisms like fungi and bacteria that break down dead matter
2. Animals that get carbon by eating plants or other animals
3. Coal, oil, and natural gas are examples of these
5. The movement of carbon through Earth’s systems
6. Carbon stored underground for millions of years
8. in the atmosphere that contains carbon and is used by plants
10. Human activity that increases carbon dioxide levels (burning fuels, cutting trees)
11. Burning of fossil fuels releases this into the atmosphere
12. Dead plants and animals broken down by fungi and bacteria
16. The layer of gases surrounding Earth
17. Plants and animals that are currently living