The bacterium which converts nitrate into molecular nitrogen is called as
A
Nitrifying bacteria
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B
Methanobacteria
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C
Diazotrophic bacteria
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D
Denitrifying bacteria
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Solution
The correct option is C Denitrifying bacteria Plants cannot directly consume atmospheric nitrogen because in atmosphere nitrogen is present as stable diatomic form. The plants can absorb nitrogen as nitrate or nitrite from soil.
Some plants like legumes harbour nitrogen fixing bacteria Rhizobium, which fixes atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium ions.
Some bacteria convert the fixed nitrogen in soil i.e., the nitrate form back to free nitrogen. Such bacteria are called as denitrifying bacteria.