Question

Why is nitrogen fixation important to living things?

Answer 1

Nitrogen fixation cycle:

1. At the start of the nitrogen cycle, a biological process called nitrogen fixation takes place. Certain bacterial species, including Rhizobium, Azotobacter, and others, as well as natural phenomena, participate in the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia (another form of nitrogen).
2. Ammonia can be produced from atmospheric nitrogen by specific bacteria and prokaryotes.
3. Biological nitrogen fixation is the term used for this. Dinitrogen is changed into ammonia by the enzyme nitrogenase.
4. Free-living or symbiotic bacteria can fix nitrogen in the environment. Rhizobium (in legume root nodules) and Frankia (in non-leguminous plant root nodules) are two examples of symbiotic nitrogen fixers.
5. Other nitrogen fixers include Azotobacter, Beijernickia, Rhodospirillum, cyanobacteria, and other free-living nitrogen fixers.
6. Nitrogen fixation is important for the life cycle as the organisms cannot utilize raw nitrogen from the atmosphere. The biological fixation of nitrogen is an essential process for biological processes.

Importance of N-fixation to living things:

1. Living entities require nitrogen as it is a part of the amino acids making up nucleic acids, proteins that form DNA and RNA.
2. Proteins are composed of amino acids, for the synthesis of amino acids plants require nitrogen.
3. For the formation of polynucleotides (DNA or RNA) cells require Nucleotides, which are further composed of bases which contain nitrogen.
4. Eventually, when any organism dies their nitrogenous componds are decomposed and converted into nitrogen.
5. Nitrogen is an important component, whose steady flow in the ecosystem is vital for several biological processes to be carried out.