Compare and contrast two of the cycles of matter

The two cycles of the matter are the carbon and nitrogen cycle. Both of them are biogeochemical cycles, it means that the chemicals spend a portion of the cycle in living things and non-living things. They are also common in that they both recycle nutrients that are essential to all organisms.

They are different in the manner that they cycle. Nitrogen is huge, 78% of the air around us is nitrogen. It cannot be used by plants or animals. Once the nitrogen is used by the plant and make its way to the animal, it can be released to decomposition.

Carbon has no requirement in processing by bacteria prior to plants and animals being able to use. Plants take carbon dioxide and make it sugar, animals eat the sugar. Some of it is released carbon dioxide that we exhale.