01
Fixation: unlocks N₂
Some bacteria convert atmospheric N₂ into ammonia or ammonium forms, which can enter further biological processes. Lightning can also contribute to the formation of reactive nitrogen compounds.
A small atom's great journey
The nitrogen cycle: air, soil, life...repeat.
Nitrogen moves between the atmosphere, soil, water and living things. The N₂ molecule is difficult for most organisms to access, so it needs some chemical transformations and the help of microorganisms to travel.
Follow the atom ↓Stations along the way
From the sky to the root and back.
The nitrogen cycle has no single beginning or end. Below is a simplified map of the main routes; in nature, the processes are intertwined and depend on the conditions.
02
Nitrification: Bacterial Laboratory
Soil microorganisms can convert ammonium to nitrite and then nitrate. These processes are part of the nitrogen cycle and affect which forms are available in the environment.
03
Assimilation: plants pick up the package
Plants mainly take in nitrate and ammonium and incorporate nitrogen into organic molecules. Animals get it through food, such as plants or other animals.
04
Decomposition: returning to the soil
When organisms excrete waste or die, decomposers break down organic matter. Nitrogen thus returns to the soil in simpler forms that can participate in the cycle again.
05
Denitrification: the exit door to the air
Under certain conditions, microorganisms convert nitrate into gaseous nitrogen compounds, among them N₂, which can be returned to the atmosphere.
06
Runoff: the cycle also has side routes
Excess nutrients can be washed from the soil into surface and groundwater. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus can contribute to algal blooms and damage aquatic ecosystems.
Short comic
The nitrogen atom on a trip"Finally out of the air! Where are we going?"
Rhizobia, bacteria:
"First through the root nodule. Strap on your enzymes!”
"First through the root nodule. Strap on your enzymes!”
Important note: N₂ is not the same as N₂O or nitrogen oxides. These are different molecules with different properties and effects. The cycle includes several compounds and microbial processes, so the drawing is deliberately simplified.
Check it out for yourself
Sources and video tour.
Links to scientific and public institutions. The USGS animated overview is especially useful for showing the many forms of nitrogen and their transformations.
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