Can you please help me answer this question please clearly s

Can you please help me answer this question?

please clearly state the answer. Thanks,

Keeping in mind the role played by prokaryotes in nutrient cycling in the biosphere, explain the consequence of a catastrophic loss of cyanobacteria species from the earth\'s oceans.

Solution

Cyanobacteria are the morphologically and ecologically heterogenous group among the oxygenic and phototrophic bacteria. The morphological diversity observed in the cyanobacteria is quiet impressive establishing wide ranges in several forms and habitats. The cyanobacteria range from unicellular to filamentous forms exhibiting considerable variation. The cell size ranges from 0.5µm to 100µm in diameter.

The cyanobacteria carryout photosynthesis in the oceans and release abundant amounts of oxygen that support huge number of aerobic organisms in the oceans.

In absence of oxygen the iron occurring in the earth would have been existed in the reduced form and most of this might had dissolved in the oceans. The oxygen produced by the cyanobacteria spontaneously reacted with the reduced iron in the oceans producing iron oxides.

The O₂ produced by cyanobacteria reduced the iron oxides that are poorly soluble in water and precipitated the ocean floors forming sedimentary structures called banded iron formations or rocks containing the deposits of iron and silica materials. The banded iron formations contribute to the source of iron ore at present times. Thus, the oxygen produced by cyanobacteria rather accumulate in the atmosphere reduced the iron and then accumulated to reach the 21% in the atmosphere at present.

Catastrophic loss of cyanobacteria from oceans result depletion of oxygen levels and that may lead to death of several organisms and accumulation of iron oxides in the atmosphere and this may increase the anaerobic populations on the earth.