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Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle describes the conversion of nitrogen between its various chemical forms as it circulates between the atmosphere, soil, plants and animals. Nitrogen is fixed from its inert atmospheric form through lightning, industrial fixation, and biological fixation by specialized bacteria. These bacteria live freely in soil or in a symbiotic relationship with legumes. The fixed nitrogen is used by plants and animals and decomposed into ammonia. Ammonia is converted to nitrites then nitrates which plants absorb. Nitrates are finally denitrified back to atmospheric nitrogen by bacteria in soil or released as nitrous oxides from combustion or volcanic eruptions.

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168 views16 pages

Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle describes the conversion of nitrogen between its various chemical forms as it circulates between the atmosphere, soil, plants and animals. Nitrogen is fixed from its inert atmospheric form through lightning, industrial fixation, and biological fixation by specialized bacteria. These bacteria live freely in soil or in a symbiotic relationship with legumes. The fixed nitrogen is used by plants and animals and decomposed into ammonia. Ammonia is converted to nitrites then nitrates which plants absorb. Nitrates are finally denitrified back to atmospheric nitrogen by bacteria in soil or released as nitrous oxides from combustion or volcanic eruptions.

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Ace Ilumba
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The Nitrogen Cycle

What is Nitrogen?
• The chemical element of atomic number
7, a colorless, odorless unreactive gas
that forms about 78 percent of the
earth's atmosphere. It is an important
part of many cells and processes such as
amino acids, proteins and even our DNA.
What is the Nitrogen Cycle?
• The nitrogen cycle is the
biogeochemical cycle by which
nitrogen is converted into multiple
chemical forms as it circulates among
atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine
ecosystems. The conversion of
nitrogen can be carried out through
both biological and physical processes.
• It helps in making atmospheric nitrogen
change into a form that can be used by
most living organisms
Nitrogen Fixation
• The process that causes the strong two-
atom nitrogen molecules found in the
atmosphere to break and combine with
other atoms like hydrogen and oxygen. It
is the first step in the Nitrogen Cycle.
• Nitrogen can be “fixed” through:
Atmospheric Fixation
• The enormous energy of lightning breaks
nitrogen molecules and enables their
atoms to combine with oxygen in the air
forming nitrogen oxides. These dissolve
in rain, forming nitrates, that are carried
to the earth.
Industrial Fixation
• Nitrogen is broken down by extreme
pressure and 600 degrees Celsius of heat
to combine hydrogen and atmospheric
nitrogen forming ammonia.
Biological Fixation
There are 2 types of Nitrogen Fixing Plants

Free Living Bacteria (Fixes 30% of N2


(Atmospheric Nitrogen))

Specialized Bacteria lives in the soil and


combines N2 with Helium to form Ammonia.
Free Living Bacteria (Fixes 30% of N2
(Atmospheric Nitrogen))

Specialized Bacteria lives in the soil and


combines N2 with Helium to form
Ammonia. It is either taken up by a few
plants or stored in the soil for later use.
Symbiotic Relationship Bacteria (Fixes
70% of N2)
• Bacteria that lives in the roots of plants
in the legume family like peanuts, peas,
and beans. They provide the plants with
ammonia in exchange for its carbon and
a protected home. Some of the ammonia
escape and are used to enrich the soil.
What is Ammonia?
• Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and
hydrogen with the formula NH3.
Ammonia is a colorless gas with a
characteristic pungent smell. It is usually
toxic and cannot be used by most plants.
Ammonification
• Decomposers break down dead animals
into amino acids and to organic nitrogen,
and then ammonia.
Nitrification
• The stored ammonia is converted by a
group of Nitrifying Bacteria into Nitrites
(N02−). It is then converted again by
another group of Nitrifying Bacteria into
Nitrates (NO3-). Plants then absorb the
Nitrates to grow.
Denitrification
• It is the process in which Nitrates goes
back up to the atmosphere. Denitrifying
Bacteria, which live deep in soil and
swampy sediments uses Nitrates as an
alternative of Oxygen, and releases
Atmospheric Nitrogen in the air all over
again.
Alternative Methods of Denitrification

• Combustion from factories and gasoline


engines Nitrous Oxides Gas.

• Volcanos release Nitrous Oxides Gas


when they erupt.

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