What do these terms mean in the nitrogen cycle: denitrification, nitrogen fixation, lightning, bacteria, and nitrates?

Question

Josephine Allen · Accepted Answer

Here they are:

Denitrification: A biochemical process in which nitrates are reduced to ammonia or nitrogen gas (in the atmosphere the most abundant gas) by bacterial activity

Nitrogen fixation: The process of converting inorganic, molecular nitrogen in the atmosphere to ammonia or nitrate.

Lightning: Lightning oxidizes nitrogen, producing nitric oxide. In nature, essentially all other conversions of molecular nitrogen to biologically useful forms are conducted by bacteria.

Bacteria: Unicellular or filamentous microorganisms lacking chlorophyll, vital to pollution control because they occur in decaying (decomposing) matter in air, on the land, and in the oceans, and assist in the decaying process. An image of them attached below.

Nitrates: #NO_3# Nitrate is an inorganic compound composed of one atom of nitrogen (N) and three atoms of oxygen (O); the chemical symbol for nitrate is #NO_3#. Nitrate is not normally dangerous for the health unless it is reduced to nitrite (#NO_2#).

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Aubrey Arnold · Answer

undefined Denitrification is the process by which nitrates are converted into nitrogen gas. Nitrogen fixation is the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, which can be used by plants. Lightning can fix atmospheric nitrogen by combining it with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides, which can then dissolve in rainwater and be used by plants. Bacteria play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle by converting nitrogen from one form to another. Nitrates are compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen, often used by plants as a source of nitrogen for growth.