The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen in all its forms cycles through the earth, much in the same way the water cycle occurs. The majority of Earth's atmosphere (approximately 78-80%) is nitrogen, making it the largest pool of nitrogen.
Nitrogen is essential for many processes; it is crucial for any life on Earth. It is in all amino acids, is incorporated into proteins, and is present in the bases that make up nucleic acids, such as...
more
The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen in all its forms cycles through the earth, much in the same way the water cycle occurs. The majority of Earth's atmosphere (approximately 78-80%) is nitrogen, making it the largest pool of nitrogen.
Nitrogen is essential for many processes; it is crucial for any life on Earth. It is in all amino acids, is incorporated into proteins, and is present in the bases that make up nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. In plants, much of the nitrogen is used in chlorophyll molecules, which are essential for photosynthesis and further growth.
Although earth’s atmosphere is an abundant source of nitrogen, most is relatively unusable by plants. Chemical processing, or natural fixation (through processes such as bacterial conversion--see rhizobium), is necessary to convert gaseous nitrogen into forms usable by living organisms. This makes nitrogen a crucial part of food production. The abundance or scarcity of this "fixed" form of nitrogen, (also...
less
