Question

Which of the following statements correctly defines 'Decomposition'?

1. Decomposition refers to the physical and chemical breakdown of detritus or dead organic matter.
2. Decomposition is solely the process of converting living organisms into their basic chemical elements.
3. The process of decomposition primarily involves the synthesis of new complex organic compounds.

• A. 2, 3
• B. 1, 2
• C. 1 only
• D. None of these

Answer 1

Answer:

C. 1 only

• Decomposition is a vital ecological process where dead organic material, known as detritus (dead plants, animals, and microbes), is broken down into simpler inorganic or organic substances.

• This process is crucial for nutrient cycling, returning essential elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus back to the ecosystem for use by new life forms.

• Without decomposition, nutrients would remain locked up in dead biomass, hindering the growth of future generations of organisms.