Editing Biosphere (section)

{{Short description|Global sum of all ecosystems on Earth}}
{{About|the sum of all ecosystems|the sum of all planetary [[Outline of Earth sciences#Earth's spheres|spheres]]|Ecosphere (planetary)|other uses}}
[[File:Seawifs global biosphere.jpg|thumb|360px|A [[false color]] composite of global oceanic and terrestrial photoautotroph abundance, from September 2001 to August 2017. Provided by the [[SeaWiFS]] Project, [[NASA]]/[[Goddard Space Flight Center]] and [[GeoEye|ORBIMAGE]].{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}]]

The '''biosphere''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{Wikt-lang|grc|βίος}}'' ({{grc-transl|βίος}})|life||''{{Wikt-lang|grc|σφαῖρα}}'' ({{grc-transl|σφαῖρα}})|sphere}}), also called the '''ecosphere''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{Wikt-lang|grc|οἶκος}}'' ({{grc-transl|οἶκος}})|settlement, house||''{{Wikt-lang|grc|σφαῖρα}}'' ({{grc-transl|σφαῖρα}})|sphere}}), is the worldwide sum of all [[ecosystem]]s. It can also be termed the zone of [[life]] on the [[Earth]]. The biosphere (which is technically a [[spherical shell]]) is virtually a [[Closed ecological system|closed system with regard to matter]],<ref name="ColumbiaEncyc">[https://web.archive.org/web/20111027194858/http://www.questia.com/library/encyclopedia/biosphere.jsp "Biosphere"] in ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th ed. (2004) Columbia University Press.</ref> with minimal inputs and outputs. Regarding [[energy]], it is an open system, with [[photosynthesis]] capturing [[solar energy]] at a rate of around 100 [[Watt|terawatts]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nealson|first1=Kenneth H.|last2=Zeki|first2=S.|last3=Conrad|first3=Pamela G.|title=Life: past, present and future|journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences|volume=354|issue=1392|year=1999|pages=1923–1939|pmc=1692713|pmid=10670014|doi=10.1098/rstb.1999.0532}}</ref> By the most general [[Geophysiology|biophysiological]] definition, the biosphere is the global [[ecology|ecological]] system integrating all [[living beings]] and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the [[lithosphere]], [[cryosphere]], [[hydrosphere]], and [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]]. The biosphere is postulated to have [[evolved]], beginning with a process of [[origin of life|biopoiesis]] (life created naturally from {{Nowrap|non-living}} matter, such as simple organic compounds) or [[biogenesis]] (life created from living matter), at least some 3.5&nbsp;billion years ago.<ref name="Campbell 2006">{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=Neil A.|author2=Brad Williamson|author3=Robin J. Heyden|title=Biology: Exploring Life|publisher=Pearson Prentice Hall|year=2006|location=Boston, Massachusetts|url=http://www.phschool.com/el_marketing.html|isbn=978-0-13-250882-7|access-date=2008-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102041816/http://www.phschool.com/el_marketing.html|archive-date=2014-11-02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20131003">{{cite news|last=Zimmer|first=Carl|author-link=Carl Zimmer|title=Earth's Oxygen: A Mystery Easy to Take for Granted|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/science/earths-oxygen-a-mystery-easy-to-take-for-granted.html|date=3 October 2013|work=The New York Times|access-date=3 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003185748/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/science/earths-oxygen-a-mystery-easy-to-take-for-granted.html|archive-date=3 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a general sense, biospheres are any closed, self-regulating systems containing ecosystems. This includes artificial biospheres such as {{Nowrap|[[Biosphere 2]]}} and {{Nowrap|[[BIOS-3]]}}, and potentially [[Astrobiology|ones on other planets or moons]].<ref name="webdictionary.co.uk">{{cite web|title=Meaning of biosphere|work=WebDictionary.co.uk|url=http://www.webdictionary.co.uk/definition.php?query=biosphere|access-date=2010-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002225222/http://www.webdictionary.co.uk/definition.php?query=biosphere|archive-date=2011-10-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>