Question

What is biological fixation? How is it different from nitrification? Give examples of organisms involved in each of these.

Answer 1

Biological fixation is the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen into the nitrogenous compounds which plants require. This process occurs in the presence of the bacteria associated with the plants.

Examples include Azotobacter, Rhizobacterium, Anabena, etc.

Nitrification is the process of conversion of ammonia into its nitrites and nitrates as plants take nitrogen mostly in the form of nitrates.

Examples include Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas, etc.