Divisional Structure

An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims.[1] It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its environment.[2] Organizations are a variant of clustered entities.[citation needed] An organization can be structured in many different ways, depending on their objectives. The structure of an organization will determine the modes in which it operates and performs. Organizational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and individual. Organizational structure affects organizational action in two big ways. First, it provides the foundation on which standard operating procedures and routines rest. Second, it determines which individuals get to participate in which decision-making processes, and thus to what extent their views shape the organizations actions.[2] The Oxygen Cycle Almost all living things need oxygen. They use this oxygen during the process of creating energy in living cells.

Just as water moves from the sky to the earth and back in the hydrologic cycle, oxygen is also cycled through the environment. Plants mark the beginning of the oxygen cycle. Plants are able to use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen in a process called photosynthesis.

This means that plants "breathe" in carbon dioxide and "breathe" out oxygen.

Animals form the other half of the oxygen cycle. We breathe in oxygen which we use to break carbohydrates down into energy in a process called respiration.

Carbon dioxide produced during respiration is breathed out by animals into the air. So oxygen is created in plants and used up by animals, as is shown in the picture above. But the oxygen cycle is not actually quite that simple. Plants must break carbohydrates down into energy just as animals do. During the day, plants hold onto a bit of the oxygen which they produced in photosynthesis and use that oxygen to break down carbohydrates. But in order to maintain their metabolism and continue respiration at night, the plants must absorb oxygen from the air and give off carbon dioxide just as animals do. Even though plants produce approximately ten times as much oxygen during the day as they consume at night, the night-time consumption of oxygen by plants can create low oxygen conditions in some water habitats. The oxygen cycle is the cycle that helps move oxygen through the three main regions of the Earth, the Atmosphere, the Biosphere, and the Lithosphere. The Atmosphere is of course the region of gases that lies above the Earths surface and it is one of the l argest reservoirs of free oxygen on earth. The Biosphere is the sum of all the Earths ecosystems. This also has some free oxygen produced from photosynthesis and other life processes. The largest reservoir of oxygen is the lithosphere. Most of this oxygen is not on its own or free moving but part of chemical compounds such as silicates and oxides.

The atmosphere is actually the smallest source of oxygen on Earth comprising only 0.35% of the Earths total oxygen. The smal lest comes from biospheres. The largest is as mentioned before in the Earths crust. The Oxygen cycle is how oxygen is fixed for freed in each of these major regions. In the atmosphere Oxygen is freed by the process called photolysis. This is when high energy sunlight breaks apart oxygen bearing molecules to produce free oxygen. One of the most well known photolysis it the ozone cycle. O2 oxygen molecule is broken down to atomic oxygen by the ultra violet radiation of sunlight. This free oxygen then recombines with existing O2 molecules to make O3 or ozone. This cycle is important because it helps to shield the Earth from the majority of harmful ultra violet radiation turning it to harmless heat before it reaches the Earths surface. In the biosphere the main cycles are respiration and photosynthesis. Respiration is when animals and humans breathe consuming oxygen to be used in metabolic process and exhaling carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis is the reverse of this process and is mainly done by plants and plankton. The lithosphere mostly fixes oxygen in minerals such as silicates and oxides. Most of the time the process is automatic all it takes is a pure form of an element coming in contact with oxygen such as what happens when iron rusts. A portion of oxygen is freed by chemical weathering. When a oxygen bearing mineral is exposed to the elements a chemical reaction occurs that wears it down and in the process produces free oxygen. Remove this ad These are the main oxygen cycles and each play an important role in helping to protect and maintain life on the Earth. If you enjoyed this article there are several other articles on Universe Today that you will like. There is a great article on the Carbon Cycle. There is also an interesting piece on Earths atmosphere leaking into space. There are also some great resources online. There is a diagram of the oxygen cycle with some explanations on the NYU website. You should also check out the powerpoint slide lecture on the oxygen cycle posted on the University of Colorado web site. You should also check out Astronomy Cast. Episode 151 is about atmospheres.

Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/61080/oxygen-cycle/#ixzz2amcCCJph