Nitrogen and Phosphorous Cycle (Crash Course)

Which two elements are highlighted as essential nutrients for living organisms, crucial for forming amino acids, proteins, DNA, RNA, ATP, and phospholipid bilayers?

• Oxygen and Carbon

• Hydrogen and Oxygen

• Nitrogen and Phosphorus

• Carbon and Hydrogen

What is the primary characteristic of nitrogen gas (N2) that makes it difficult for plants to assimilate directly from the atmosphere?

• It is a noble gas and unreactive.

• It is made up of two nitrogen atoms connected by a triple bond.

• It forms a single covalent bond, which is too weak.

• It is too heavy for plants to absorb.

Besides nitrogen-fixing bacteria, what other natural phenomenon can break the triple bond in atmospheric nitrogen, making it available for biological processes?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Forest fires

• Lightning

• Ocean currents

How does this compare to EdPuzzle?

• I like it better.

• Edpuzzle is better.

• They are about the same.

What organisms convert nitrogen gas to nitrates/nitrites usable nitrogen and also convert the nitrates/nitrates back into nitrogen gas.

• plants

• fungi

• bacteria

• pumas

Which element's cycle, as discussed, does not involve the atmosphere?

• Carbon

• Nitrogen

• Phosphorus

• Sulfur

What happens to phosphorus once it enters a deep lake or ocean?

• It is cycled around among aquatic organisms.

• It is immediately assimilated by decomposers.

• It is trapped in sediment for millions of years.

• It quickly evaporates into the atmosphere.

What human activity has significantly impacted the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles by introducing large amounts of these elements into ecosystems?

• Industrial pollution

• Deforestation

• Use of synthetic fertilizers

• Urbanization