All living organisms participate in the nitrogen cycle, which encompasses the process and chemical reaction involved in producing organic nitrogen from inorganic nitrogen and subsequently breaking down organic nitrogen back to the inorganic form.
Ammonification
The cycle begins to form ammonia, NH3: the electrical energy of lightning drives the reaction. Ammonia combines with rain and becomes available to green plants as dilute nitric acid, HNO3. Ammonia is also derived from the breakdown of proteins that constitute plant and animal cells. This chemical, combined with the products of photosynthesis, is used to form amino acids, which are the basic components of plant proteins. Animals eat the plant proteins, break them down into amino acids during the process of digestion, and recombine them to form their own particular forms of protein in order to build tissues and organs of their bodies.
Denitrification
Certain soil bacteria convert nitrogen containing compounds into ammonia and atmospheric nitrogen, a process known as denitrification. These bacteria, known as denitrifying bacteria, obtain energy by breaking down not only the nitrogen, compounds urea, CO(NH2)3, and uric acid, C5H4N2O3, that are excrete by living animals, but also the nitrogen compounds produced by decaying organic matter.
Nitrification
Several genera of bacteria, also living in the soil, are involved in the process of nitrification. Such bacterial genera as Nitrosomas and Nitrosoccoccus convert ammonia into nitrites (NO2). Nitrobacter species convert nitrites into nitrates (NO3), which green plants then use in the production of amino acids. The other common genera of soil bacteria, the anaerobic Clostridium and the aerobic Azotobacter, produce nitrates and nitrates from free nitrogen.
Nitrogen Fixation
Several species of bacteria, fungi, and blue green algae are involved in the process of nitrogen fixation. These organisms convert organic nitrogen into ammonia, which is used by higher plants to manufacture nitrogen containing compounds.
An important genus of nitrogen fixing bacteria is Rhizobium, which forms nodules on the roots of legumes (members of the bean family). The bacteria obtain food from the legume, and the legume obtains abundant usable nitrogen compounds from the bacteria. For this reason legumes, such as clovers, alfalfa, beans and peanuts, are excellent protein sources. Gardeners often in oculate the soil with appropriate species of Rhizobium when they are planting legumes in order to produce an abundant, high quality crop.
Nitrogen Fertilizers
In 1902, Charles Bradley and Jesse Lovejoy succeeded in duplicating one of the natural processes for nitrogen compound production by passing air through a powerful electric arc. Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch later developed a method fro synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen; production of ammonia by the Haber Bosch process began in 1911. These technique have been used to manufacture nitrogen Fertilizers, which supplement the soil composition.
Ammonification
The cycle begins to form ammonia, NH3: the electrical energy of lightning drives the reaction. Ammonia combines with rain and becomes available to green plants as dilute nitric acid, HNO3. Ammonia is also derived from the breakdown of proteins that constitute plant and animal cells. This chemical, combined with the products of photosynthesis, is used to form amino acids, which are the basic components of plant proteins. Animals eat the plant proteins, break them down into amino acids during the process of digestion, and recombine them to form their own particular forms of protein in order to build tissues and organs of their bodies.
Denitrification
Certain soil bacteria convert nitrogen containing compounds into ammonia and atmospheric nitrogen, a process known as denitrification. These bacteria, known as denitrifying bacteria, obtain energy by breaking down not only the nitrogen, compounds urea, CO(NH2)3, and uric acid, C5H4N2O3, that are excrete by living animals, but also the nitrogen compounds produced by decaying organic matter.
Nitrification
Several genera of bacteria, also living in the soil, are involved in the process of nitrification. Such bacterial genera as Nitrosomas and Nitrosoccoccus convert ammonia into nitrites (NO2). Nitrobacter species convert nitrites into nitrates (NO3), which green plants then use in the production of amino acids. The other common genera of soil bacteria, the anaerobic Clostridium and the aerobic Azotobacter, produce nitrates and nitrates from free nitrogen.
Nitrogen Fixation
Several species of bacteria, fungi, and blue green algae are involved in the process of nitrogen fixation. These organisms convert organic nitrogen into ammonia, which is used by higher plants to manufacture nitrogen containing compounds.
An important genus of nitrogen fixing bacteria is Rhizobium, which forms nodules on the roots of legumes (members of the bean family). The bacteria obtain food from the legume, and the legume obtains abundant usable nitrogen compounds from the bacteria. For this reason legumes, such as clovers, alfalfa, beans and peanuts, are excellent protein sources. Gardeners often in oculate the soil with appropriate species of Rhizobium when they are planting legumes in order to produce an abundant, high quality crop.
Nitrogen Fertilizers
In 1902, Charles Bradley and Jesse Lovejoy succeeded in duplicating one of the natural processes for nitrogen compound production by passing air through a powerful electric arc. Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch later developed a method fro synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen; production of ammonia by the Haber Bosch process began in 1911. These technique have been used to manufacture nitrogen Fertilizers, which supplement the soil composition.
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