Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrogen Fixation and
Nitrogen Metabolism
NITROGEN FIXATION
Different Ways of Nitrogen Fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the essential biological
process and the initial stage of the Plants are the main source of food. The nutrients
nitrogen cycle. In this process, nitrogen in obtained from plants are synthesized by plants
the atmosphere is converted into ammonia using various elements which they obtain from the
(another form of nitrogen) by certain atmosphere as well as from the soil. This group of
bacterial species like Rhizobium, elements includes nitrogen as well. Plants obtain
Azotobacter, etc. and by other natural nitrogen from the soil and utilise it in the process of
phenomena. protein synthesis. Unlike carbon dioxide and
oxygen, atmospheric nitrogen cannot be obtained
through the stomata of leaves. Because the
nitrogen gas present in the atmosphere can not be
Biological Nitrogen Fixation directly used by plants. There are certain bacteria
and some natural phenomenon that help in
Certain bacteria or prokaryotes are capable of Nitrogen fixation.
converting atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia.
This process is called biological nitrogen fixation. Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation
The enzyme nitrogenase converts dinitrogen to
ammonia. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria may be free- A species of bacteria called Rhizobium, help in
living or symbiotic. Some of the free-living nitrogen fixation. These bacteria live in the roots of
nitrogen fixers are Azotobacter, Beijernickia, leguminous plants (e.g., pea and beans plants) and
Rhodospirillum, cyanobacteria, etc. Examples of using certain types of enzymes, they help in fixing
symbiotic nitrogen fixers are Rhizobium (in the nitrogen in the soil. During this biological process,
root nodules of legumes) and Frankia (in the root they convert the non-absorbable nitrogen form
nodules of non-leguminous plants), etc. into a usable form. This form of nitrogen gets
dissolved in the soil, and plants absorb the modified
Nitrogen Fixation by Lightning nitrogen from the soil. This is the reason behind
farmers implementing crop rotation, where
Another process that helps in nitrogen fixation leguminous plants help to replenish nitrogen
is lightning. It is a natural phenomenon where content in the soil without the necessity of
the energy of lightning breaks and converts the fertilizers.
non-absorbable form of nitrogen into a usable Nitrogen fixation by bacteria is an example of the
form. Even though the contribution of lightning symbiotic relationship between Rhizobium and
in the nitrogen fixation is small, they save plants leguminous plants. While bacteria fix nitrogen in the
from the deficiency of essential elements. soil, plants provide them food.
Natural Phenomenon -Lightning
Nitrogen oxides, e.g. NO, N2O and NO2 are also
produced in the atmosphere by industrial
processes, automobile exhausts, power stations
and forest fires.
Nitrogen Fixation and
Nitrogen Metabolism
NITROGEN METABOLISM
Metabolism is a set of chemical processes, Important Questions on Nitrogen
which is carried out to convert substances Fixation And Nitrogen Metabolism
into usable energy forms. Nitrogen
metabolism is mainly based on the
recycling of ammonia (NH3) into the neutral WHAT IS DENITRIFICATION?
or charged form ammonium ion (NH4+). Denitrification is the process of converting
The main part of nitrogen metabolism is or reducing the nitrates back into inert
the Nitrogen Cycle. nitrogen gas. The process is carried out
during the absence of oxygen by bacterial
species such as Clostridium and
Pseudomonas.
WHAT IS NITROGEN FIXATION?

Nitrogen Fixation is a biological process in
which the nitrogen gas is converted into a
usable form for plants and other microbes. In WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF NITROGEN?
this process, nitrogen gas present in the Nitrogen is an important component of all life. It
atmosphere is converted into ammonia and is a major constituent of biomolecules such as
other related nitrogenous compounds. proteins, nucleic acids It forms other cellular
constituents too which are essential for all
forms of life.
NITROGEN-FIXING ORGANISMS WHICH
CAN BE FREE AS WELL AS SYMBIOTIC IS?
Plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen.
Some of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria
convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia
making it available to plants. Anabaena is a
free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These
entities are also known to form a symbiotic
relationship with the plants such as
mosquito fern. Existing as plankton, these
are known to form symbiotic associations
with the Azolla, aquatic fern. Consequently,
these are symbiotic bacteria too.

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Nitrogen Fixation and

WHAT IS NITROGEN FIXATION?

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