Answer:
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The nutrients required by living things are the chemical elements present in nature. The primary chemical constituents of organic compounds are called macronutrients. The six major macronutrients are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Other macronutrients include calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.
Micronutrients are those chemical elements present in nature that organisms require in small quantities. Although required in only small quantities, they are still extremely important and a deficiency or lack of such nutrients may affect important physiological processes, leading to defects and diseases in the organism. Examples of micronutrients are boron, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum.
Earth is a closed system that contains a finite amount of these nutrients. The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Once organisms assimilate nutrients they become locked in the body of the organism. Biogeochemical cycles are processes that help in the recycling of these trapped nutrients. Various biological, chemical, and physical processes act on dead organic matter. These processes transform the chemicals from one form to another and redistribute them in stages till they again become available in the form that living organisms require. Therefore, the biogeochemical cycles play a vital role in ensuring that the finite supply of nutrients is always available to support life on Earth.
Explanation: plato
