Recall how carbon gets from the atmosphere into living things.

Carbon gets from the atmosphere into living things through a process called the carbon cycle. Here are the steps:

1. Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere: Carbon exists in the Earth's atmosphere primarily as the gas carbon dioxide (CO2).

2. Photosynthesis: Plants, algae, and some bacteria absorb this carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to carry out photosynthesis, which creates glucose (a type of sugar) that these organisms use for energy. In this process, carbon is taken from the atmosphere and used to build these sugars.

3. Consumption: Animals then eat these plants (or other animals that have eaten the plants), and the carbon from the plants becomes part of their own tissues.

4. Respiration: Both plants and animals release carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide through respiration, which is the process of breaking down food for energy.

5. Decomposition: When plants and animals die, their bodies, wastes, and remains are broken down by bacteria and fungi (decomposers), releasing the carbon back into the atmosphere.

6. Combustion: When humans burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

7. Storage: Some carbon is stored in the form of wood, soil, and other organic matter (known as carbon sinks).

This cycle repeats over and over, moving carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again.