THE NITROGEN CYCLE Flashcards
What is nitrogen needed for?
Making proteins for growth
Where do plants get nitrogen from?
the soil
Where do animals get proteins from?
eating plants or eachother
What is nitrogen fixation?
The process of turning N2 from the air into nitrogen compounds in the soil which plants can use
What are the two ways in which nitrogen fixation happens?
Lightening
Nitrogen fixing bacteria in roots and soil
Name the 4 different types of bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle
Decomposers
Nitrifying bacteria
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Denitrifying Bacteria
Where on plant roots are the bacteria found?
in nodules
What do decomposers do?
break down proteins and urea and turn them into ammonia
What does nitrifying bacteria do?
turns ammonia in decaying matter into nitrates
What does nitrogen fixing bacteria do?
Turns atmospheric N2 into nitrogen compounds that plants can use
What does denitrifying bacteria do?
Turns nitrates back into N2 gas
