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New Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

Uploaded by

mohapatrasaiharshit
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NITROGEN CYCLE

Nitrogen is a key nutrient element for plants. However, the


abundant nitrogen in the atmosphere cannot be used directly
by plants or animals. Read on to explore how the Nitrogen
cycle makes usable nitrogen available to plants and other
living organisms.
W H AT I S N I T R O G E N C Y C L E

Nitrogen Cycle is a biogeochemical


process through which nitrogen is
converted into many forms, consecutively
passing from the atmosphere to the soil to
organism and back into the atmosphere. It
involves several processes such as nitrogen
fixation, nitrification, denitrification, decay
and putrefaction.
Nitrogen gas exists in both organic and inorganic
forms. Organic nitrogen exists in living organisms,
and they get passed through the food chain by the
consumption of other living organisms.

Inorganic forms of nitrogen are found in abundance


in the atmosphere. This nitrogen is made available to
plants by symbiotic bacteria which can convert the
inert nitrogen into a usable form – such as nitrites
and nitrates.

Nitrogen fixation can occur either by atmospheric


fixation- which involves lightening, or industrial
fixation by manufacturing ammonia under high
temperature and pressure conditions. This can also
be fixed through man-made processes, primarily
industrial processes that create ammonia and
nitrogen-rich fertilisers.
Types of Nitrogen fixation: 2 types
A: Atmospheric nitrogen fixation:-
Nitrification
In this process, the ammonia is converted into
nitrate by the presence of bacteria in the
soil. Nitrites are formed by the oxidation of
ammonia with the help of Nitrosomonas bacteria
species. Later, the produced nitrites are converted
into nitrates by Nitrobacter. This conversion is very
important as ammonia gas is toxic for plants.
The reaction involved in the process of Nitrification
is as follows:
2NH3 + 3O2 → 2NO2– + 2H+ + 2H2O
2NO2– + O2 → 2NO3–
Assimilation
Primary producers – plants take in the nitrogen
compounds from the soil with the help of their
roots, which are available in the form of ammonia,
nitrite ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions and are
used in the formation of the plant and animal
Ammonification
When plants or animals die, the nitrogen
present in the organic matter is released back
into the soil. The decomposers, namely bacteria
or fungi present in the soil, convert the
organic matter back into ammonium. This
process of decomposition produces ammonia,
which is further used for other biological
processes.

Denitrification
Denitrification is the process in which
the nitrogen compounds make their way back
into the atmosphere by converting nitrate
(NO3-) into gaseous nitrogen (N). This process
of the nitrogen cycle is the final stage and
occurs in the absence of oxygen. Denitrification
is carried out by the denitrifying bacterial
species- Clostridium and Pseudomonas, which
will process nitrate to gain oxygen and gives out
free nitrogen gas as a byproduct.
B.Biological nitrogen fixation:

The process of converting atmospheric


nitrogen into nitrogenous compounds by living
organisms is called biological nitrogen fixation.
Nitrogen is necessary for growth and development
of plants. Only certain organisms like prokaryotes,
such as bacteria and cyanobacteria, can fix
atmospheric nitrogen in soil. They utilise the
enzyme nitrogenase to catalyse the conversion of
atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3).
Plants can readily assimilate NH3 to produce the
aforementioned nitrogenous biomolecules.

(a). Free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria fix nitrogen


in a free-living way.
Examples: Azotobacter, Rhodospirillum, Bacillus,
Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, etc.
Symbiotic Biological Nitrogen Fixation:

 Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is part of a mutualistic


relationship in which plants provide a niche and
fixed carbon to bacteria in exchange for fixed
nitrogen.
 Symbiotic nitrogen fixers in large number of
legume plants include genus Rhizobium mainly.
 They established themselves inside specialized
structures on the roots called root nodules.
 The bacteria fix nitrogen only when they are
present inside the nodules. The association is
regarded as symbiotic because the host plant
supplies the nodule bacteria the required
organiccarbon (carbohydrates).
 In return micro-organism supply fixed nitrogen to
the host plant.
Importance of Nitrogen Cycle

• The importance of the nitrogen cycle are as follows:


• Helps plants to synthesise chlorophyll from the nitrogen
compounds.
• Helps in converting inert nitrogen gas into a usable form for
the plants through the biochemical process.
• In the process of ammonification, the bacteria help in
decomposing the animal and plant matter, which indirectly
helps to clean up the environment.
• Nitrates and nitrites are released into the soil, which helps
in enriching the soil with the necessary nutrients required
for cultivation.
• Nitrogen is an integral component of the cell and it forms
many crucial compounds and important biomolecules.
• Nitrogen is also cycled by human activities such as the
combustion of fuels and the use of nitrogen fertilisers. These
processes increase the levels of nitrogen-containing
compounds in the atmosphere. The fertilisers containing
nitrogen are washed away in lakes, rivers and result in
eutrophication.
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