Nitrogen is converted into a usable form for organisms through the process of nitrogen fixation, where specialized bacteria in the soil or the roots of certain plants (e.g. legumes) convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia. This ammonia can then be taken up by plants and used to produce proteins essential for growth and development.
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During nitrogen fixation, nitrogen gas is converted into ammonia or other forms of usable nitrogen by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This process is important because plants and other organisms cannot use atmospheric nitrogen directly in this form.
nitrogen
The large reservoir of nitrogen that is unusable by most organisms is atmospheric nitrogen (N2). This form of nitrogen is inert and cannot be directly utilized by plants and animals. It needs to be converted into a usable form through the process of nitrogen fixation before it can be incorporated into biological molecules.
Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen gas from the atmosphere is converted into ammonia by certain bacteria. Ammonification, on the other hand, is the process by which organic nitrogen from dead organisms or waste is converted into ammonia by decomposers like bacteria and fungi. Nitrogen fixation introduces new nitrogen into the ecosystem, while ammonification recycles existing nitrogen.
Organisms can use nitrogen in the forms of ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), and atmospheric nitrogen gas (N2) through nitrogen fixation processes. These forms are essential for building proteins, DNA, and other cellular components in living organisms.