Question

Which one of these is a sedimentary cycle?
A. Phosphorus
B. Hydrogen
C. Oxygen
D. Nitrogen

Answer 1

Hint: Sedimentary cycles include leaching of minerals and salts from the earth's crust, which then settle as sediments.

Complete solution:
A biogeochemical cycle can be defined as a pathway through which movement of chemical substances takes place. This movement is through both biotic and abiotic components of the earth. A cycle can be defined as a series of changes that occurs, and then comes back to the initial point and which can be repeated.
These cycles can be categorized into two categories- gaseous cycle and sedimentary cycle.
Gaseous cycles include nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, oxygen cycle, water cycle.
Sedimentary cycles include phosphorus cycle, sulfur cycle, iron cycle and calcium cycle.
Phosphorus cycle is known to be the slowest biogeochemical cycle. From This cycle, we can easily describe how phosphorus is moving through the lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. We are not including the atmosphere here, because the atmosphere does not play any significant role in the movement of phosphorus. Phosphorus and phosphorus-based compounds are found in solid state at typical ranges of temperatures and pressure on the earth.
Low concentrations of phosphorus in soil reduce plant growth and slow down soil microbial growth.
Phosphorus cannot be found in air as gas. It occurs under highly reducing conditions in the form of phosphine.
Steps involved in phosphorus cycle are as follows-
as a result of erosion of rocks, phosphate is released
plants and fungi take up this phosphate
phosphorus moves from producers to consumers through food chain
phosphorus may seep into groundwater from soil overtime forming into rock
When these rocks erode, the cycle begins alone.

So, the correct answer is option A.

Note: Phosphorus is an important nutrient for plants as well as animals.
It remains mostly on land, in the rocks, in the soil minerals.
Red phosphorus is used in matches because it catches fire easily.
Phosphorus is found in exoskeleton insects.
Phosphates are a component of nucleotides, which serves as energy storage in the cells.