Sulfur Biochemical Cycle

By:

Andrew Cerrina

Ray-Ray Chi

Jo-Hannnah Chong

Mambok Lee

Where Sulfur is Found on Earth…

KEY TERMS

• SO2 : Sulfur Dioxide Gas

• H2S : Hydrogen Sulfide Gas

• SO4 : Sulfate Compound

Source

• Sulfur originates in the Earth’s lithosphere

Sulfur Dioxide• Less than 1% of atmosphere

• Found in atmosphere from volcanoes and industrial activity

• Compounds fall or are rained out of atmosphere

• Plants take in forms of this compound and absorb into tissues

• After plants die or are consumed by animals, organic sulfur compounds are returned to land or water

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/chagedor/biol_4684/Cycles/Scycle.html

Bacteria

• Can transform organic sulfur to hydrogen sulfide gas

Oceans

• Some phytoplankton produce chemicals that transform to SO2

• Gases produced re-enter the atmosphere, water, soil

• Continues cycle

Lifetime• Very short

• Used up in days

Biological and Ecological Effects

• Sulfur is a vital ingredient to proteins

• Plants take sulfur compounds out of water

• Some animals are dependent on plants that absorb sulfur

•If too much sulfur is found in the air, possibility of acid rain!!!!!!

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/chagedor/biol_4684/Cycles/Scycle.html

Works Cited

• http://essp.csumb.edu/esse/climate/climatebiogeo.html

• www.geo.uu.nl/Research/Geochemistry/jack/SCycle.ppt

• filebox.vt.edu/users/chagedor/biol_4684/Cycles/Scycle.html