The process of breaking down or rotting; the breaking apart of something complex into simpler parts.
From Latin 'decomponere': 'de-' (down, apart) plus 'componere' (to put together). It literally means to 'un-assemble' something that was previously composed or arranged.
Bacteria and fungi are nature's ultimate recyclers—during decomposition they break down dead organisms and return nutrients to soil, which is why forests stay fertile even though billions of things die there every year.
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