3.4 Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is the gas that makes up 78% of the air we breathe.

Detritivores are animals that feed on dead particulate organic matter.

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are responsible for converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium and ammonia.

Nitrogen is a crucial component in proteins, many vitamins, and DNA.

Denitrification is the process that returns nitrogen to the atmosphere.

The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms, including fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and ammonification.

Nitrogen fixation is the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into a form usable by living organisms, such as ammonium (NH4+).

Decomposers break down organic matter, releasing nitrogen back into the soil in the form of ammonium.

Nitrification is the process by which ammonium is converted into nitrites (NO2-) and then into nitrates (NO3-) by bacteria.

Assimilation is the process by which plants and animals incorporate nitrogen from the soil into their own biological tissues.