Nitrogen cycle Flashcards
What form of Nitrogen is in the atmosphere?
N2 with a strong double bond.
How is nitrogen converted into useable forms?
With lightning, nitrogen fixing bacteria or the Haber process
How does lightning break down Nitrogen?
It reacts with nitrogen to form nitric acid, which falls down as rainwater and reacts with the water to form nitrates, which are absorbed by plants.
What are the 2 types of nitrogen fixing bacteria?
Nitrosomonas and nitrobacter
What do nitrosomonas do?
They oxidise ammonia to nitrites, which the plants can then use
What does nitrobacter do?
It oxidises nitrites to nitrates, which the plants can use
How is nitrogen biologically fixed?
The symbiotic relationship between plant roots and bacteria reduces N2 to ammonia.
What is nitrogenase?
The only biological enzyme which can break nitrogen triple bonds
What is nitrogen used for?
Making amino acids, proteins, DNA and RNA
