3.4 Nitrogen Cycle

Front

What gas makes up 78% of the air you breathe?

Back

Nitrogen is the gas that makes up 78% of the air we breathe.

Front

What are heterotrophic animals that feed on dead particulate organic matter called?

Back

Detritivores are animals that feed on dead particulate organic matter.

Front

What type of bacteria fixes atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium and ammonia in the soil?

Back

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are responsible for converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium and ammonia.

Front

What is nitrogen a crucial component of?

Back

Nitrogen is a crucial component in proteins, many vitamins, and DNA.

Front

What process puts nitrogen back into the atmosphere?

Back

Denitrification is the process that returns nitrogen to the atmosphere.

Front

Define the nitrogen cycle.

Back

The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms, including fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and ammonification.

Front

What is nitrogen fixation?

Back

Nitrogen fixation is the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into a form usable by living organisms, such as ammonium (NH4+).

Front

What role do decomposers play in the nitrogen cycle?

Back

Decomposers break down organic matter, releasing nitrogen back into the soil in the form of ammonium.

Front

What is nitrification?

Back

Nitrification is the process by which ammonium is converted into nitrites (NO2-) and then into nitrates (NO3-) by bacteria.

Front

What is assimilation in the context of the nitrogen cycle?

Back

Assimilation is the process by which plants and animals incorporate nitrogen from the soil into their own biological tissues.