Question

Draw a well-labelled diagram of the nitrogen cycle?

Answer 1

Nitrogen cycle:

1. The process of turning atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into biological nitrogen is known as nitrogen fixation.
2. It's an anaerobic (oxygen-free) process that catalyzes the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) to ammonia (NH₃).
3. The nitrogen fixation has done by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
4. Some of them are free-living bacteria, whereas others are nitrogen-fixing symbionts. E.g. Rhizobium.
5. The process of nitrification is the conversion of ammonium ions (NH₄) into nitrides.
6. The first is as nitrites (NO₂^–) and then as nitrate (NO₃^–).
7. The oxidation of nitrite (NO₂^–) to nitrate (NO₃^–) is the second stage.
8. When an organism excretes waste or dies, organic nitrogen accumulates in its tissues.
9. The process of ammonification involves a variety of fungi and prokaryotes breaking down the tissue and releasing inorganic nitrogen as ammonia back into the environment.
10. It releases inorganic nitrogen back into the ecosystem as ammonia.