ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Biogeochemistry

Okay kiddo, do you know what "bio" means? It means "life" and "geo" means "earth". "Chemistry" is just a fancy word that means studying the different types of chemicals and how they interact with each other.

So, when we talk about biogeochemistry, it means we are looking at how living things (like plants and animals) and non-living things (like rocks and water) all interact with each other on the Earth.

There are lots of different processes that happen in biogeochemistry. For example, plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar. This process is called photosynthesis. Then, animals breathe in the oxygen and eat the sugar for energy. They also release carbon dioxide when they breathe out.

Another example is the water cycle. Water evaporates from lakes and rivers and turns into clouds. Then, the clouds release rain, which falls back down to the earth and goes back into the lakes and rivers to start the process all over again.

Biogeochemists study all of these processes and how they affect each other. They also look at how human activities, like burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests, can change the balance of these processes and affect the Earth's ecosystems.

In short, biogeochemistry is like studying the big puzzle of how everything on Earth fits together and affects each other.