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Phosphorus moves in a cycle through the environment, changing form as it does. Aquatic plants take in dissolved inorganic phosphorus and it becomes part of their body as organic phosphorus. Animals eat aquatic plants, other animals, or decomposing plant and animal material to get their organic phosphorus. As plants and animals produce wastes or die, the organic phosphorus they contain sinks to the bottom. Bacteria take over the decomposition process and convert it back to inorganic phosphorus. This inorganic phosphorus gets back into the cycle when the bottom is stirred up and it is taken up by the plants again. |