Atmosphere

Earths atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen gas.

Plants cannot use this form of nitrogen gas. It has to be
changed into a different form through a process called
nitrogen fixation. Lightning strikes and rainfall help a set
amount of nitrogen gas into the soil in a form where it can
be used by plants. However, special bacteria called
diazotrophs do the most nitrogen fixation. Diazotrophs
bring together nitrogen gas in the atmosphere and
hydrogen. This makes ammonia (NH3).
What would happen to the nitrogen cycle without the
bacteria that fixes nitrogen?

Why do you think most living things cant use nitrogen

gas (N2)?

Organic Material
Organic nitrogen is in dead plants, fallen leaves, and all
kinds of animal waste. Organic means that the nitrogen
atoms are connected to the carbon atoms in the
molecule. Some of this nitrogen will go back into the
atmosphere as gas. Some of the nitrogen is returned to
the soil in a process called ammonification. During
ammonification, the nitrogen in animal wastes and dead
plant material is converted to ammonium by bacteria and
fungi. Ammonification is sometimes called
mineralization.
Immobilization is the opposite of mineralization. When
immobilization happens, soil bacteria take up nitrogen.
What can this do to the plants that live in this soil?

What happens to the carbon that is bound up to nitrogen

in decaying organic material?

Ammonium
When organic material decays, it produces ammonium.
Nitrosomonas spp. bacteria change ammonium to nitrite.
Some of the ammonium gets converted to nitrate.
Another bacterium, Nitrobacter spp., converts some of
the nitrite to nitrate. The process of changing ammonium
to nitrate is called nitrification. The bacteria that carry
out this reaction gain energy it. Some ammonium is
directly taken up, or absorbed, by plants where it can be
transformed into amino acids and DNA.
Why are bacteria so helpful to the nitrogen cycle?

Where do animals get nitrogen from? How does this

relate to humans?
Nitrates
Nitrates can be directly absorbed, or taken into, plants.
Nitrates are then transformed into amino acids and DNA.
Some nitrates cannot be used by plants during anaerobic
processes. Anaerobic processes take place when oxygen
is not available. Pseudomonas and Clostridium bacteria
convert nitrates into nitrogen gas that is released back
into the atmosphere.
How are nitrates changed into a form that plants cannot
use directly?

Involving nitrates, what is the difference when oxygen is

present or not present?

Nitrites
Nitrites act as an intermediate or a go-between in the
nitrogen cycle. Nitrites cannot be directly used by plants.
Nitrites can be formed by the breakdown of ammonium.
Nitrosomonas spp bacteria convert ammonium to nitrite.
Nitrite is converted to nitrate by Nitrobacter spp bacteria.
Ammonium and nitrate can be directly absorbed by
plants and transformed into amino acids and DNA.
What is the role of nitrites in the nitrogen cycle?
What happens to nitrite?

Gaseous Losses
When nitrates are changed back to nitrogen gas (N2), it is
called denitrification. The nitrogen then enters the
atmosphere and the nitrogen cycle begins again. Most
denitrification takes place in waterlogged soil, like the soil
at the bottom of lakes and streams. Bacteria located
here are anaerobic, which means they do not need
oxygen. The bacteria use nitrates to conduct respiration.
This releases nitrogen gas back into the atmosphere and
reduces the nitrogen that is available for plants.
Why do waterlogged soils lead to more anaerobic
respiration?

How could a lake or pond be affected by excess nitrates

being introduced into the water by agricultural run-off?

Plant Consumption
Plants can directly absorb ammonium and nitrate. They
cannot directly absorb ammonia, nitrite, or nitrogen gas.
Assimilation is the process in which plants absorb
nitrogen-containing compounds. After plants absorb
them, the plants convert these compounds into organic
compounds that contain nitrogen such as amino acids
and DNA. An organic compound is a compound that
contains carbon. Nitrogen that is bound to carbon is
called organic nitrogen.
What effects would you see when plants are not able to
get enough nitrogen?

Plants rely on the activities of bacteria and fungi. What

kind of relationship does this encourage? (Think about
evolutionary relationships.)

Animal Consumption
Animals cannot take up nitrogen as many ways as plants
can. However, animals still need nitrogen just as much.
They use it to build important molecules like DNA and
proteins. Animals cannot absorb nitrates like plants do.
Animals get nitrogen by eating substances that have
already absorbed, or assimilated, nitrogen. They do this
either by eating plants or by eating other animals.
Why cant animals take in nitrogen from a variety of
nitrogen-containing compounds?
What does an animals need to consume assimilated
nitrogen suggest about animal food chains?