What is a nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen cycle is a process in which nitrogen is converted from the atmosphere into a mold that plants and animals can use. This is done by bacteria and at the beginning of the 20th century by human activity. When nitrogen is converted into its usable form, it is said to be fixed, and plants and algae include nitrogen into amino acids, proteins and deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA). Animals obtain compounds containing nitrogen from plants, so nitrogen cycle is essential for all life on Earth. When living creatures die, other types of bacteria release nitrogen in these substances back into the atmosphere and finish the cycle. This form of nitrogen cannot be used by plants or animals that rely on them. Bacteria are necessary to convert n 2 into ammonia (NH 3 ) and ammonia ions (NH 4 +). In a process called nitrification, soil converts ammonia into nitrate ion (NH 3 ). This part of the nitrogen cycle, known as nitrogen fixation, allows plants to produce amino acids and other compoundscontaining nitrogen on which all the life of animals depend. A very small amount of solid nitrogen is generated annually by lightning strikes and some inanimate chemical processes.
To complete the nitrogen cycle, the organic matter of dead plants and animals is divided by another class of bacteria. This process, which releases solid nitrogen, is called denitrification. Nitrogen re -enters the atmosphere in its original form n 2 or as ammonia.
Due to the important scientific discovery, people no longer have to rely on the available nitrogen produced by bacteria. This resulted in synthetic nitrogen -based fertilizers on which it relies strongly in agriculture to feed the substantial Number of the World's Lidis. In this way, people have become an important part of the nitrogen cycle. It is estimated that as a result of human activity there are up to 50 percent of the fixed nitrogen present in the environment.
Some plants and animals have separateThe relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria. The roots of some plants, especially legumes, have nodes on their roots, where bacteria create nitrogen that can be used directly through the plant. In return, bacteria obtain organic substances from plants that use as food. Some animals, such as cows and buffalo, also host bacteria, nitrogen in their digestive tractions that produce a significant amount of compounds containing nitrogen that the animals need.