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B
Nitrogen.
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C
Hydrogen.
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D
Helium.
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Solution
The correct option is B Oxygen.
Nitrogenase of bacteria is highly sensitive to oxygen and are thus nitrogen fixing bacteria are called microaerobic. Enzyme nitrogenase is oxygen labile. Oxygen will make the enzyme irreversibly inactive. So, the nitrogen-fixing bacteria needs to protect the nitrogenase enzyme from oxygen. Leghaemoglobin pigment present in the root nodules scavenges free oxygen so that nitrogenase can carry out its activity of nitrogen fixation unhindered.