Transcript 1 Atom Tracker- Carbon

June 30 – Carbon
Hi, I’m a CARBON atom! I’m a part of a starch molecule in
this duckweed plant. Whoa! My duckweed plant just got
eaten by a duck! Now I’m in the duck’s stomach.
July 6 - Carbon
The duckweed really got ripped
apart in the duck's stomach. But
my starch molecule made it
through the digestion process.
The duck sent me into the water
in its poop! I’ve settled down to
the bottom of the pond. It’s
amazing that I’m still a part of
the same starch molecule!
Oh boy – here comes some bacteria. There are a lot of them down
here! Bacteria are good at getting energy out of other organisms’
waste. They can get their energy from dead organisms. They break
apart molecules that were once inside dead plants and animals. They
release atoms and molecules so they can be used again. This is called
DECOMPOSITION.
July 10 - Carbon
The bacteria broke my starch
molecule to release energy that their
cell could use. The bacteria had to
take in OXYGEN to break down my
starch molecule for energy. What was
that process called again? Oh yeah –
RESPIRATION. Now, I was released
back into the water as carbon
dioxide. Bacteria break down material
into smaller molecules that are
released back into the environment.
That’s why we call them
DECOMPOSERS.
July 16 - Carbon
July 22 - Carbon
Wheee! Now that I’m back in the carbon dioxide
molecule I could be taken up by a plant at any moment
to be used in PHOTOSYNTHESIS, but for now I’m free!
I’m a gas molecule, but I’m surrounded by water – it’s a
pretty strange feeling.
July 25 - Carbon
I bumped into a green algae cell and it absorbed me right
through its cell wall! The green algae used a process
called PHOTOSYNTHESIS to turn a bunch of my carbon
dioxide buddies and me into a glucose molecule.
July 28 - Carbon
The green algae linked me with a bunch of other
glucose molecules to make a big molecule called
starch. Did you know that starch is the same kind of
molecule that you find in potatoes? And duckweed!
August 15 - Carbon
Wow! The algae cell that I was a part of just got eaten by a fathead minnow! The
minnow broke apart most of the glucose and starch molecules in the algae for energy.
During RESPIRATION the minnow used a lot of OXYGEN and gave off a lot of carbon
dioxide molecules. My starch molecule was ripped apart and now I’m back in the
water as a carbon dioxide molecule.