biosphere

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biosphere

biosphere irregularly shaped envelope of the earth's air, water, and land encompassing the heights and depths at which living things exist. The biosphere is a closed and self-regulating system (see ecology ), sustained by grand-scale cycles of energy and of materials—in particular, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, certain minerals, and water. The fundamental recycling processes are photosynthesis , respiration, and the fixing of nitrogen by certain bacteria. Disruption of basic ecological activities in the biosphere can result from pollution .

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biosphere

A Dictionary of Biology | 2004 | Â© A Dictionary of Biology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

biosphere Portion of the Earth from its crust to the surrounding atmosphere that contains living organisms. It includes the oceans, a thin layer of the Earth's crust, and the lower reaches of the atmosphere.

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	Biosphere Development Corp. Exchanges Letter of Intent with Multiquimica Dominicana, SA. Business Wire; 6/15/2005
	Biosphere Development Corporation Contracts for USD$3,400,000,000 Loan with Diamond Ridge. Business Wire; 6/7/2005
	BioSphere Medical Receives FDA Approval For QuadraSphere(TM) Microspheres. Business Wire; 11/9/2006

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