EcologyIntroduction

Earth's Original Recycling System

Part of The Water Cycle · GCSE GCSE Biology revision

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.

Topic position

Section 1 of 11

Practice

12 questions

Recall

12 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.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in The Water Cycle. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

The Four Main Stages of the Water Cycle What Happens After Precipitation?The Role of Plants in the Water Cycle

Practice Questions for The Water Cycle

What is the water cycle?

A. The process by which plants absorb water from soil
B. The one-way flow of water from clouds to the ocean
C. The continuous movement of water through the environment
D. The process by which animals drink and excrete water

1 markfoundation

Explain the role of transpiration in the water cycle.

3 marksstandard

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.

12 questions on The Water Cycle — practise free

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The Water Cycle

The Four Main Stages of the Water Cycle