Explain how carbon is cycled in the environment, including the role of all living organisms and the use of fossil fuels.

This question was taken from a recent past paper.Let's start by working out what the examiner is looking for here. This question makes it quite obvious, as it states the words 'carbon' and 'cycle', telling you to write about the 'carbon cycle'. Secondly, look at the key things they want you to discuss 'living organisms' and 'fossil fuels', so our answer must incorporate those; make it easy for the examiner and signpost where those marks are by stating these terms in your answer. This question is also a QWC (Quality of Written Communication), so you need to remember to focus on how you write, not just what you write, a skill we work on.The carbon cycle is the term given to the movement of carbon from the atmosphere, through a number of organisms, and back in to the atmosphere. In the simplest terms, the plants take in the CO2 through the process of photosynthesis, in which they exchange CO2 for Oxygen, and turn this CO2 into a carbon compound. When animals eat these plants as part of their diet, the CO2 is transferred, and released back in to the atmosphere when these animals respire. Now, when these animals die, or plants for that matter, they start to decompose, a process in which microorganisms feed on these dead organisms. These microorganisms also respire, releasing more CO2 back in to the atmosphere. Some of these dead animals and plants eventually become part of various fossil fuels as they are compacted by layers of earth, and this carbon remains stored within those fuels. When we as humans burn and combust these fossil fuels, the CO2 is released back in to the atmosphere.