The biosphere is part of the earth in which life exists. It is 20 km thick from the bottom of the ocean to the lower atmosphere. It consists of three layers: the lithosphere, which is the land on the surface of the earth; the hydrosphere, which comprises of the water on the earth as well as water vapor in the air; and the atmosphere, which is made up of the air that surrounds the earth. The living organisms in the biosphere interact and affect each other in many ways. This is called a biotic factor. Similarly, there are non-living elements that have an effect on living organisms, these are considered abiotic factors. Examples of abiotic factors are air, temperature, water, soil, light, and minerals.
In a biosphere, organisms live in special groupings. For instance, a population consists of all individuals of a species living in a general area. A community is a population located
In the ecosystem, matter and nutrients are cycled via biogeochemical cycles such as water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorous. The burning of fossil fuels contributes to the industrial cycle of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This contributes to the greenhouse effect, which has been a reason for global warming. Nitrogen is found in the atmosphere and makes up about 78% of the earth's air mixture. Oxygen makes up about 22% of the earth's air mixture, and pollutants make up about 1% of the earth's air mixture. Nitrogen is important in the development of organisms on earth, as the make compounds such as proteins and amino acid. These compounds are important because they make up DNA and other compounds crucial to the formation and sustenance of life.
There are three types of relationships involving the interactions between organisms. They are mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Mutualism
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