Organic matter (or organic material, natural organic matter) is matter that has come from a once-living organism; is capable of decay, or the product of decay; or is composed of organic compounds. The definition of organic matter varies upon the subject for which it is being used.
Organic matter is broken down remains of plants and animals in the environment. Basic structures are created from cellulose, tannin, cutin, and lignin, along with other various proteins, lipids, and sugars. It is very important in the movement of nutrients in the environment and plays a role in water retention on the surface of the planet.
Read more about Organic Matter: Formation, Natural Ecosystem Functions, Source Cycle, Soil Organic Matter, Decay, Organic Chemistry, Vitalism
Famous quotes containing the words organic and/or matter:
“Technology represents intelligence systematically applied to the problem of the body. It functions to amplify and surpass the organic limits of the body; it compensates for the body’s fragility and vulnerability ...”
—Shoshana Zuboff (b. 1951)
“See, in the Navy, during the war, I got used to the idea that something might happen to me, I might not make it. Well, I also got used to the idea that my wife and children were safe at home, they’d be all right no matter what. But what I didn’t reckon with was that in this, this kind of a monstrous war, something might happen to them, and not to me. Well it did, and I can’t, I can’t cope with it.”
—John Paxton (1911–1985)