Remineralisation - Citizendia

In biogeochemistry, remineralisation refers to the transformation of organic molecules to inorganic forms, typically mediated by biological activity. The field of biogeochemistry involves scientific study of the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions An organic compound is any member of a large class of Chemical compounds whose Molecules contain Carbon. Traditionally inorganic compounds are considered to be of mineral not biological origin

Usually remineralisation relates to organic and inorganic molecules involving biologically important elements such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Carbon (kɑɹbən is a Chemical element with the symbol C and its Atomic number is 6 Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 Phosphorus, (ˈfɒsfərəs is the Chemical element that has the symbol P and Atomic number 15 For example, the following simplified equation shows the complete remineralisation of organic material with a standard Redfield ratio to oxidised inorganic minerals such as carbon dioxide, nitrate (nitric acid) and phosphate (phosphoric acid). Redfield ratio or Redfield stoichiometry is the molecular ratio of Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Phytoplankton. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single In Inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of Nitric acid with an Ion composed of one Nitrogen and three Oxygen atoms A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid.

(C₁₀₆H₁₂₄O₃₆) (NH₃)₁₆ (H₃PO₄) + 150 O₂ $\rightarrow$ 106 CO₂ + 16 HNO₃ + H₃PO₄ + 78 H₂O + energy

In reality, such complete remineralisation is likely to involve several stages each involving different organisms and metabolic pathways. In Biochemistry, a metabolic pathway is a series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. For example, in the case of nitrogen, its transformation from ammonia (NH₃) in the equation above, to nitrate involves the process of nitrification, usually mediated by a series of bacteria. Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor Nitrification is the biological oxidation of Ammonia with oxygen into Nitrite followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into Nitrates Degradation

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In Oceanic Biogeochemistry, the biological pump is the sum of a suite of biologically-mediated processes that transport Carbon from the surface Decomposition (or spoilage) refers to the break down of tissue of a formerly living Organism into simpler forms of matter In Oceanic Biogeochemistry, the f-ratio is the fraction of total Primary production fuelled by Nitrate (as opposed to that fuelled by other

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