AQA GCSE Biology contents

Unit 7 · Ecology

Cycling of Materials & Decomposition

4 min read · part of the full Exam Guide

Materials are recycled

  • Many materials cycle between the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem. All materials in the living world are recycled to provide the building blocks for future organisms
  • Microorganisms (decomposers) cycle materials by returning carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and mineral ions to the soil

Full Exam Guide

The rest of this topic is in the full Exam Guide

The complete AQA GCSE Biology guide — every topic, exam checklist and common mistake — is coming soon. Until then, the first topic in every unit is free to read.

In the full topic

  • Materials are recycled
  • The carbon cycle
  • The water cycle
  • Decomposition [Biology only]
  • Required Practical 10: temperature and the decay of milk
  • Impact of environmental change [Biology only, Higher Tier]
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