What is the carbon cycle and how does it affect the environment?

 The carbon cycle is nature’s way of reusing carbon atoms, which travel from the atmosphere into organisms in the Earth and then back into the atmosphere over and over again. The carbon cycle describes the process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into the atmosphere. Since our planet and its atmosphere form a closed environment, the amount of carbon in this system does not change. Where the carbon is located — in the atmosphere or on Earth — is constantly in flux. Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration and combustion. From an environmental perspective, carbon provides insulation by trapping the sun’s heat. Carbon is used by plants to build leaves and stems, which are then digested by animals and used for cellular growth.