Question

During the process of decomposition.
A. Carbon dioxide is consumed and Oxygen is released
B. Oxygen is consumed and Carbon dioxide is released
C. Carbon dioxide is consumed and water is released
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: Decomposition is a process of degrading the complex substance into a simpler form of it. The raw materials include dead animals and their waste, dead plant remains such as bark, leaves, flowers, etc. These kinds of waste are constituted as detritus

Complete step by step answer: The decomposition is processed by complex organic substance breakdown into simple inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water, sugar, etc with the help of decomposers. It is a high oxygen required process. The oxygen is required by the bacteria and other microbes to degrade the dead and decay matters efficiently. There is some decomposition where oxygen is not required, this condition is called anaerobic.
Hence, decomposition is an oxygen-rich process therefore the correct answer is option B i.e. oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is released.

Additional information: Decomposers are those organisms which help to decompose the organic material. Such as earthworm, worm, some bacteria naturally found in soil, etc. Earthworms are also known as farmer’s friends. Taphonomy is the study of decomposition. They study how organisms decay and become fossilized. The word Taphonomy came from Greek, where taphos mean “burial'' and nomos mean “law’.

Note: Following are the steps involved in the decomposition – fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation. The rate of the decomposition varies depending upon the chemical composition of the detritus, amount of oxygen and climatic factors. For example -
-The process gets slower if the detritus are rich in chitin and lignin, whereas, then it gets faster if the detritus is rich in nitrogen, and water-soluble substances.
-Climatic factors like soil moistures and temperature effect in activities of soil microorganisms.