Biosphere

During the long history of life on Earth (about 3.8 billion years), organisms have drastically altered the chemical composition of the biosphere. At the same time, the biosphere's chemical composition has influenced which life forms could inhabit its environments. Rates of nutrient transformation have not always been in balance, resulting in changes in the chemical composition of the biosphere. For example, when life first evolved, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide was much greater than today, and there was almost no free oxygen. After the evolution of photosynthesis there was a large decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide and an increase in oxygen. Much of carbon once present in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide now occurs in fossil fuel deposits and limestone rock.

The increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration had an enormous influence on the evolution of life. It was not until oxygen reached similar concentrations to what occurs today (about 21%, by volume) that multicellular organisms were able to evolve. Such organisms require high oxygen concentrations to accommodate their high rate of respiration.