This introduction covers Earth's Original Recycling System within The Water Cycle for GCSE Biology. Topic 6: The Water Cycle It is section 1 of 11 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
💧 Earth's Original Recycling System
The water you drank this morning has been around for billions of years. It may have fallen as rain on the Sahara, been frozen in a glacier, or drunk by a dinosaur. Water never disappears — it just keeps moving. The water cycle is Earth's oldest and most reliable recycling system, and understanding it explains everything from cloud formation to why plants matter so much for our climate.
Practice questions for The Water Cycle
What is the water cycle?
Explain the role of transpiration in the water cycle.
Quick recall flashcards
What is the water cycle?
The continuous movement of water between oceans, atmosphere, land and living organisms.
Driven by solar energy. Water is recycled — never created or destroyed.
What is evaporation in the water cycle?
The sun's energy heats liquid water on the surface of oceans, lakes and rivers.
Water molecules gain enough energy to escape as water vapour (an invisible gas) and rise into the atmosphere.