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Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen is converted between its various forms and moves between different parts of the environment. Bacteria play a key role in changing nitrogen between forms that can be used by plants and animals. Through processes like fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification, nitrogen circulates between the air, soil, plants, and animals. Human activities like fertilizer use and emissions have disrupted the natural balance of the nitrogen cycle.

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Jonel Barruga
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162 views2 pages

Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen is converted between its various forms and moves between different parts of the environment. Bacteria play a key role in changing nitrogen between forms that can be used by plants and animals. Through processes like fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification, nitrogen circulates between the air, soil, plants, and animals. Human activities like fertilizer use and emissions have disrupted the natural balance of the nitrogen cycle.

Uploaded by

Jonel Barruga
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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

This picture shows the flow of the nitrogen cycle. The most important part of the cycle
is bacteria. Bacteria help the nitrogen change between states so it can be used. When
nitrogen is absorbed by the soil, different bacteria help it to change states so it can be
absorbed by plants. Animals then get their nitrogen from the plants.

Diagram of the nitrogen cycle

Processes in the Nitrogen Cycle

 Fixation - Fixation is the first step in the process of making nitrogen usable by
plants. Here bacteria change nitrogen into ammonium.
 Nitrification - This is the process by which ammonium gets changed into nitrates
by bacteria. Nitrates are what the plants can then absorb.
 Assimilation - This is how plants get nitrogen. They absorb nitrates from the soil
into their roots. Then the nitrogen gets used in amino acids, nucleic acids, and
chlorophyll.
 Ammonification - This is part of the decaying process. When a plant or animal
dies, decomposers like fungi and bacteria turn the nitrogen back into ammonium
so it can reenter the nitrogen cycle.
 Denitrification - Extra nitrogen in the soil gets put back out into the air. There are
special bacteria that perform this task as well.

Why is nitrogen important to life?

Plants and animals could not live without nitrogen. It is an important part of
many cells and processes such as amino acids, proteins, and even our DNA. It is also
needed to make chlorophyll in plants, which plants use in photosynthesis to make their
food and energy.
How have humans altered the nitrogen cycle?

Unfortunately, human activity has altered the cycle. We do this by adding nitrogen into
the soil with fertilizer as well as other activities that put more nitrous oxide gas into the
atmosphere. This adds in more nitrogen than is needed by normal cycle and upsets the
cycle's balance.

What is the Nitrogen Cycle


Farts are pretty funny. They are stinky and make us giggle when they are loud and
disrupt class. But scientists take this 'gas' pretty seriously--our farts contain a very
important particle called nitrogen (written as N2). About 60% of that smelly flatulence is
nitrogen, and nitrogen is essential to our survival--it can be found in everything from
your hair to your organs. In fact, the air you breathe from the atmosphere is about 78
percent nitrogen (most of Earth's nitrogen is in the air).
Unfortunately, plants and animals don't absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere. So, while
there's plenty in the air, plants and animals need different ways to access the nitrogen.
The processes that help get nitrogen out of the air and into living organisms is called
the nitrogen cycle. This cycle moves nitrogen from the air to the soil, from the soil to
living organisms, and from living organisms back into the air and soil.

Prepare by:
Ms. Royally Tubon

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