Explain how Nitrification is different from Nitrogen fixation. Mention the role of Thiobacllus in nitrogen cycle? What do you understand by biological Nitrogen fixation?
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Solution
Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia or ammonium to nitrite followed by the oxidation of the nitrite to nitrate. Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere is converted into ammonia or related nitrogenous compounds.
Thiobacillus helps in the conversion of nitrates in the soil to free atmospheric nitrogen, thus depleting soil fertility and reducing agricultural productivity.
Biological nitrogen fixation is the process whereby atmospheric nitrogen (N=N) is reduced to ammonia in the presence of nitrogenase. Nitrogenase is a biological catalyst found naturally only in certain microorganisms such as the symbiotic Rhizobium and Frankia, or the free-living Azospirillum and Azotobacter.