● Apart from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, `color{Brown}"nitrogen"` is the most `color{violet}"prevalent element"` in living organisms.
● Nitrogen is a constituent of `color{violet}"amino acids, proteins"`, `color{violet}"hormones, chlorophylls"` and many of the vitamins.
● Plants `color{violet}"compete with microbes"` for the `color{violet}"limited nitrogen"` that is available in soil.
● Thus, nitrogen is a `color{Brown}"limiting nutrient"` for both `color{violet}"natural and agricultural"` eco-systems.
● Nitrogen exists as `color{violet}"two nitrogen atoms"` joined by a very strong `color{violet}"triple covalent bond"` (N ≡ N).
● The process of `color{violet}"conversion of nitrogen"` (`N_2` ) to `color{violet}"ammonia"` is termed as `color{Brown}"nitrogen fixation"`.
● In nature, `color{violet}"lightning and ultraviolet radiation"` provide enough energy to convert `color{Brown}"nitrogen to nitrogen oxides"` (`NO`, `NO_2` , `N_2O`).
● `color{violet}"Industrial combustions"`, `color{violet}"forest fires, automobile exhausts"` and `color{violet}"power-generating stations"` are also sources of atmospheric nitrogen oxides.
● `color{violet}"Decomposition"` of `color{violet}"organic nitrogen"` of dead plants and animals into `color{violet}"ammonia"` is called `color{Brown}"ammonification"`.
● Some of this `color{violet}"ammonia volatilises"` and `color{violet}"re-enters the atmosphere"` but most of it is converted into `color{violet}"nitrate by soil bacteria"` in the following steps:
● Ammonia is `color{violet}"first oxidised to nitrite"` by the bacteria `color{Brown}"𝘕𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 and/or 𝘕𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴"`.
● The nitrite is further `color{violet}"oxidised to nitrate"` with the help of the bacterium `color{Brown}"𝘕𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳."`
● These steps are called `color{Brown}"nitrification"`.
● These nitrifying bacteria are `color{violet}"chemoautotrophs"`.
● The nitrate thus formed is `color{violet}"absorbed by plants"` and is `color{violet}"transported to the leaves."`
● In leaves, it is `color{violet}"reduced to form ammonia"` that finally forms the `color{violet}"amine group of amino acids"`.
● `color{violet}"Nitrate present in the soil"` is also reduced to `color{violet}"nitrogen"` by the process of `color{Brown}"denitrification"`.
● `color{violet}"Denitrification"` is carried by bacteria `color{Brown}"𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴"`.
● Apart from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, `color{Brown}"nitrogen"` is the most `color{violet}"prevalent element"` in living organisms.
● Nitrogen is a constituent of `color{violet}"amino acids, proteins"`, `color{violet}"hormones, chlorophylls"` and many of the vitamins.
● Plants `color{violet}"compete with microbes"` for the `color{violet}"limited nitrogen"` that is available in soil.
● Thus, nitrogen is a `color{Brown}"limiting nutrient"` for both `color{violet}"natural and agricultural"` eco-systems.
● Nitrogen exists as `color{violet}"two nitrogen atoms"` joined by a very strong `color{violet}"triple covalent bond"` (N ≡ N).
● The process of `color{violet}"conversion of nitrogen"` (`N_2` ) to `color{violet}"ammonia"` is termed as `color{Brown}"nitrogen fixation"`.
● In nature, `color{violet}"lightning and ultraviolet radiation"` provide enough energy to convert `color{Brown}"nitrogen to nitrogen oxides"` (`NO`, `NO_2` , `N_2O`).
● `color{violet}"Industrial combustions"`, `color{violet}"forest fires, automobile exhausts"` and `color{violet}"power-generating stations"` are also sources of atmospheric nitrogen oxides.
● `color{violet}"Decomposition"` of `color{violet}"organic nitrogen"` of dead plants and animals into `color{violet}"ammonia"` is called `color{Brown}"ammonification"`.
● Some of this `color{violet}"ammonia volatilises"` and `color{violet}"re-enters the atmosphere"` but most of it is converted into `color{violet}"nitrate by soil bacteria"` in the following steps:
● Ammonia is `color{violet}"first oxidised to nitrite"` by the bacteria `color{Brown}"𝘕𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 and/or 𝘕𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴"`.
● The nitrite is further `color{violet}"oxidised to nitrate"` with the help of the bacterium `color{Brown}"𝘕𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳."`
● These steps are called `color{Brown}"nitrification"`.
● These nitrifying bacteria are `color{violet}"chemoautotrophs"`.
● The nitrate thus formed is `color{violet}"absorbed by plants"` and is `color{violet}"transported to the leaves."`
● In leaves, it is `color{violet}"reduced to form ammonia"` that finally forms the `color{violet}"amine group of amino acids"`.
● `color{violet}"Nitrate present in the soil"` is also reduced to `color{violet}"nitrogen"` by the process of `color{Brown}"denitrification"`.
● `color{violet}"Denitrification"` is carried by bacteria `color{Brown}"𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴"`.