Carbon is an element which forms an important part of all living organisms and their environments. These can include diamond and graphite , but carbon can combine with other atoms to form a wide variety of molecules. It's important to remember that all living things contain a lot of carbon in one form or another because all cells contain proteins , fats and carbohydrates . All the cells in plants have a cell wall around them. This is made of cellulose , a carbohydrate.
Green plants get their carbon from the carbon dioxide in the air.
This enters the leaves and is used up by the plant during the process of photosynthesis . During this process sugar is produced, which contains carbon. The remains could be digested by decomposers , for example, microbes such as fungi or bacteria. They could become fossilised to form coal, oil or gas. Move on You may have noticed that there is a sort of 'recycling' going on here.