Carbon is a major component of all organic compounds. In fact, carbon is such a key ingredient of living tissue and the ecosystems that life on Earth is often described as "carbon-based life."

Carbon can be found in 4 main areas:

  1. Biosphere (plants and animals)
  2. Atmosphere
  3. Water (oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.)
  4. Rocks, shells and fossil fuels.

How carbon moves between the areas is known as the carbon cycle.

Video segment. Assistance may be required. Watch this video to learn more about the carbon cycle.

Source: NASA | Earth Science Week: Keeping Up With Carbon , NASA Goddard, YouTube