cycles

Question 1

Atmosphere

Answer 1

The gas, (The air) surrounding the earth . 78% of the atmosphere is made up of Nitrogen or N2, this is an unusable form for most organisms.

Question 2

Nitrogen

Answer 2

An element that all living organisms require, (DNA, proteins, chlorophyll) however, cannot be used in the form that surrounds the Earth

Question 3

NItrogen fixation

Answer 3

The process of converting N2, unusable nitrogen, into biologically available nitrogen.

Question 4

Nitrification

Answer 4

There are two steps to nitrification. The first step is microbes change ammonia to nitrites (an unusable form of nitrogen for plants).The second step is is to change the nitrites into nitrates (a useable form of nitrogen for plants).

Question 5

Ammonification

Answer 5

When an organism dies or excretes waste, the nitrogen is found in the amino acids or DNA. Fungi break down the nitrogen and release the nitrogen back into the ecosystem.