Question

Use the processes of nitrogen fixation, nitrification, to move nitrogen from nitrogen gas into a protein in your cells. Hint: this is why farmers like soil with bacteria so we can all eat.

Answer 1

About 78% of the air is nitrogen, and it is essential for the formation of amino acids in proteins. Nitrogen gas is converted to nitrate compounds by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil or root nodules. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are Rhizobium, Azorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium etc. Lightning is also responsible to convert nitrogen gas to nitrate compounds. The Haber process is also responsible to convert nitrogen gas into ammonia used in fertilizers. On the other hand, ammonia is converted to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria in the soil. Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter and Nitrococcus are the examples of nitrifying bacteria. Plants absorb nitrates from the soil and use these nitrates to build up proteins. The plant can be eaten by an animal, and its biomass used to produce animal protein.