Knowra Decomposition Decomposition Decomposition is the breakdown of dead organic matter into simpler substances. It returns nutrients to ecosystems through the activity of decomposers and physical processes.
Decomposer : An organism, such as a bacterium or fungus, that obtains energy by breaking down dead organic matter. Decomposers carry out much of the biological breakdown of dead matter.
Detritus : Dead organic material, including plant litter, animal remains, and waste. Detritus is the material on which decomposition acts.
Composting : The managed decomposition of organic waste into a stable, nutrient-rich soil amendment. Composting controls conditions to speed decomposition and produce usable material.
Combustion : A chemical reaction in which a fuel reacts rapidly with an oxidant, releasing heat and often light. Combustion breaks down organic matter rapidly, unlike the usually gradual action of decomposers.
Detritivore : An animal that feeds on dead organic material and produces smaller particles and waste. Detritivores fragment remains, making more material accessible to microbes.
Organic matter : Material composed mainly of carbon-based compounds produced by living organisms. Dead organic matter supplies the carbon and nutrients that decomposers transform.
Carbon cycle : The circulation of carbon among organisms, the atmosphere, oceans, and Earth’s crust. Decomposition transfers carbon from dead organisms into soils and the atmosphere.
Preservation : The maintenance of material in a state that resists or slows deterioration. Preservation limits the breakdown that decomposition would otherwise cause.
Extracellular digestion : Digestion in which enzymes break down food outside an organism’s cells before the products are absorbed. Many decomposers secrete enzymes into remains before absorbing released molecules.
Nutrient cycle : The movement and reuse of chemical elements between organisms and their environment. Decomposition returns nutrients to cycles after organisms die.
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