How does the nitrogen cycle affect humans?

Question

Isaac Ayoub · Accepted Answer

The nitrogen cycle affects humans in multiple ways.

All living organisms require nitrogen. It is an essential part of plants, nitrogen makes up amino acids, and amino acids are what create proteins, and nitrogen is a crucial component of nucleic acids also. The images below show the chemical composition of nucleic acids:

Thus, how nitrogen is stored and cycled through the environment directly impacts humans. Without nitrogen, plants and animals would not exist. Plants that don't have enough nitrogen suffer, as nitrogen is needed for their growth. This in turn affects the humans and other animals that consume these nitrogen-deficient plants.

The plant on the left is nitrogen deficient:

Humans have disrupted the natural nitrogen system through the burning of fossil fuels and through agricultural practices. The excess nitrogen present in our waterways has lead to dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive. This could, in turn, affect humans who rely on these aquatic systems.

In the image below, nitrogen in fertilizers contribute to dead zones:

Read more about ocean dead zones here.
Read more about nitrogen and agriculture here.

Clara Addison · Answer

undefined The nitrogen cycle indirectly affects humans through its impact on agriculture. Nitrogen fixation and nitrification processes make nitrogen available for plants, crucial for crop growth. Excessive nitrogen runoff, however, can lead to water pollution, impacting human health and ecosystems. Additionally, nitrogen oxides released during industrial activities contribute to air pollution, affecting respiratory health.