Question

Can humans live without nitrogen?

Answer 1

Nitrogen:

1. It is the seventh element in the periodic table.
2. Nitrogen gas makes up around 80% of atmospheric gases.
3. It is a colourless, odourless gas.
4. It is an essential constituent of all living tissues (in DNA, amino acids, etc.)
5. In addition, nitrogen is present in soil and water as nitrates or nitrites.

Sources of nitrogen:

1. Dead and decaying matter in the soil.
2. Rocks
3. Animal excreta
4. Nitrogen is circulated and converted from one form to another, consecutively passing from the atmosphere to soil to organisms and then back to the atmosphere. The movement of nitrogen in various forms through various processes is known as the nitrogen cycle.

Uses of nitrogen:

1. Plants fix atmospheric nitrogen as nitrates and nitrites because nitrogen is an essential component of various enzymes and proteins.
2. Liquid nitrogen is useful for storage purposes (food and cryopreservation of various cells/tissues)
3. It is used in the production of ammonia.
4. Ammonia is further used in fertilizer production.

Importance of nitrogen for humans:

1. The human body comprises 3% nitrogen (by mass).
2. It is an essential part of amino acids (makeup proteins), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), ATP (energy molecule), etc.
3. It is nearly impossible to live without nitrogen.