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Total inorganic carbon (C T or TIC) is the sum of the inorganic carbon species. Carbon compounds can be distinguished as either organic or inorganic, and dissolved or particulate, depending on their composition. Organic carbon forms the backbone of key components of organic compounds such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.
Dissolved inorganic carbon is a key component of the biological pump, which is defined as the amount of biologically produced organic carbon flux from the upper ocean to the deep ocean. [6] Dissolved inorganic carbon in the form of carbon dioxide is fixed into organic carbon through photosynthesis.
An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds — that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as inorganic chemistry .
Carbon compounds are defined as chemical substances containing carbon. [1] [2] More compounds of carbon exist than any other chemical element except for hydrogen. Organic carbon compounds are far more numerous than inorganic carbon compounds. In general bonds of carbon with other elements are covalent bonds.
The most common oxidation state of carbon in inorganic compounds is +4, while +2 is found in carbon monoxide and transition metal carbonyl complexes. The largest sources of inorganic carbon are limestones, dolomites and carbon dioxide, but significant quantities occur in organic deposits of coal, peat, oil, and methane clathrates.
The inorganic cycle begins with the production of carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3) from rainwater and gaseous carbon dioxide. [6] Due to this process, normal rain has a pH of around 5.6. [ 7 ] Carbonic acid is a weak acid , but over long timescales, it can dissolve silicate rocks (as well as carbonate rocks).
Biological carbon fixation, or сarbon assimilation, is the process by which living organisms convert inorganic carbon (particularly carbon dioxide, CO 2) to organic compounds. These organic compounds are then used to store energy and as structures for other biomolecules .
Soil carbon is the solid carbon stored in global soils. This includes both soil organic matter and inorganic carbon as carbonate minerals. It is vital to the soil capacity in our ecosystem. Soil carbon is a carbon sink in regard to the global carbon cycle, playing a role in biogeochemistry, climate change mitigation, and constructing global ...