The circulation of substances is one of the most important laws in nature. Water in reservoirs evaporates under the influence of the sun, rises into the atmosphere, and then returns to rivers and lakes in the form of precipitation. Plants grow from the soil, outlive their own and turn into humus in the same soil. The same thing happens with many minerals.
Phosphorus and its properties
The phosphorus cycle in nature is very interesting in its own way. In the natural environment, this element is distributed in a fairly large amount. The proportion of its content in the earth's interior is about 0.12%. According to the degree of distribution of chemicals in the cortex, it is in thirteenth place. Large deposits of this substance do not exist. Phosphorus in nature
refers to the so-called scattered elements.
Another property of phosphorus is its high degree of oxidizability. Therefore, in its pure form in nature it does not happen. But it is part of 120 minerals and their compounds, the most valuable of which are apatites and phosphorites. Moreover, scientists have long discovered the occurrence of this nutrient in the tissues of plants, fruits and seeds. Such substances are called phospholipids. The phosphorus cycle in nature is observed at the birth and death of plants.
A significant proportion of phosphorus atoms was found in the tissues of living organisms, protein compounds, DNA molecules and ATP. Biologists call it the "element of life." Another name is the “element of thought,” because phosphorus activates the brain, nourishes it, stimulates mental activity.
The phosphorus cycle in nature affects all layers of the ecosystem, excluding only the atmosphere. This happens in this way: in the course of their life, microorganisms, soil acids gradually destroy apatite deposits. Elements of phosphorus become part of the biochemical cycle. The phosphates present in the soil nourish the plants. Phosphorus compounds are deposited in fruits and seeds.
Among the plants that are actively consumed by animals and humans, legumes are in the first place. They serve as food for humans and herbivores, and phosphorus is the building material for animal bones and for human skeletons. This role is played by calcium salts of phosphoric acid. If their deficiency is observed in the body, the body begins to suffer from various pathologies on this soil: brittle bones, etc. A large amount of phosphorus is contained in the teeth. Phosphorus-containing substances undergo chemical processing during digestive processes, are broken down and synthesized into new organic compounds. With feces, phosphates re-enter the soil.
Man actively intervenes in the cycle of phosphorus in nature, his rational activity. This element is widely used in match production. Many varieties of stainless steel are coated with a thin layer of phosphate to make it more resistant to weathering. Products of alloys of zinc, aluminum, and other metals are subjected to a similar treatment. From phosphorus compounds make drugs.
The geological cycle of substances also includes fertilizers, which are added to the soil in accordance with the needs of agriculture. Natural phosphates are also used for their production.
In separate areas of terrestrial rocks, accumulations of organic phosphates are found in huge amounts. For example, guano is a bird droppings in which there is a high proportion of phosphorus. It was found in places of mass nesting of birds - on the Pacific islands, in Peru, etc. Deposits of individual phosphate compounds in terrestrial rocks can tell about various geological cataclysms, as a result of which animals were massively killed. The global extinction of marine organisms is indicated by the biolithic hypothesis of phosphorite formation.