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carbon dioxide
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Diagram of a tree leaf illustrating photosynthesis, with arrows showing sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide entering the leaf and sugars and oxygen being produced. A person is shown beside the tree to demonstrate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between plants and animals. Rutherford, Daniel Diagram showing the process of cellular respiration, where glucose and oxygen are converted into carbon dioxide and water, with energy released as indicated by red arrows. The chemical equation C6H12O6 plus 6O2 yields 6CO2 plus 6H2O is displayed. Figure 17: Changes in the global mean temperature expected due to past and anticipated variations in trace atmospheric gases. (Top) Increases in greenhouse forcing per decade from 1850 through the mid-1980s. (Bottom) Decadal increments of greenhouse forcing projected for the period from 1990 to 2030. Line graph showing the Keeling Curve, which tracks atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels at Mauna Loa from 1965 to 2025. The graph shows a steady upward trend from about 320 to over 420 parts per million, with seasonal fluctuations. An inset highlights the annual cycle of CO2, demonstrating both the short-term oscillations and the long-term increase. carbon dioxide: global warming scenarios Infographic showing a timeline of major climate change milestones from 1896 to 2025, with key events listed on the left. Insets on the right display a graph of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, diagrams of ocean acidification due to carbon dioxide, and a world map highlighting countries that have signed or ratified the Paris Agreement. bioremediation Diagram of the glyoxylate cycle showing the metabolic pathway steps, with arrows indicating the flow between compounds such as acetate, acetyl S-CoA, citrate, isocitrate, glyoxylate, succinate, and malate. CO2 release and biosynthesis branches are highlighted. Figure 9: Oxidation path for methane, CH4.
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Combination shot of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park, Montana in the years 1938, 1981, 1998 and 2006.
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carbon dioxide: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

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  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: Chemistry LibreTexts - Carbon Dioxide. Sep 16, 2026
Add new Web site: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety - Carbon Dioxide. Dec 31, 2025
Add new Web site: IOPscience - IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering - Carbon dioxide: a raw material and a future chemical fuel for a sustainable energy industry (PDF). Nov 08, 2025
Add new Web site: University of Bristol - School of Chemistry - Carbon Dioxide. May 08, 2024
Add new Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Carbon Dioxide. Jan 06, 2023
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The impact of CO2. The global rise in the levels of CO2 is good for trees, bad for grasses and terrible for corals. Nov 21, 2022
Add new Web site: Lenntech - Carbon dioxide. Sep 06, 2022
Noted that carbon dioxide is classified as a greenhouse gas and noted its association with global warming. May 27, 2020
Add new Web site: UCAR Center for Science Education - Carbon Dioxide. Oct 31, 2019
Corrected display issue. Dec 21, 2018
Add new Web site: Science is Fun in the Lab of Shakhashiri - Carbon Dioxide. Dec 20, 2018
Add new Web site: Quatr.us - What is Carbon Dioxide? Dec 20, 2016
Changed "Jan Baptist van Helmont" to "Jan Baptista van Helmont." Jan 08, 2016
Add new Web site: Kidipede Science for Kids - What is Carbon Dioxide. Apr 11, 2014
Add new Web site: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Carbon Dioxide Emission. Dec 01, 2013
Add new Web site: Tox Town - Carbon Dioxide. Jan 25, 2013
Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - Carbon Dioxide. Jan 25, 2013
Add new Web site: University College Cork - Carbon Dioxide. Jan 25, 2013
Add new Web site: Royal Society of Chemistry - Carbon dioxide. Jan 25, 2013
Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Carbon Dioxide. Jan 25, 2013
The words "Dry Ice" changed to "dry ice." Jun 23, 2011
Media added. Jan 28, 2009
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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