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"What is the significance of the nitrogen cycle in ecosystems? Using suitable examples, discuss the role of microorganisms in the Nitrogen Cycle. How can Man influence the Nitrogen Cycle?"
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"What is the significance of the nitrogen cycle in ecosystems? Using suitable examples, discuss the role of microorganisms in the Nitrogen Cycle. How can Man influence the Nitrogen Cycle?" Nitrogen makes up about 80 per cent of the Earth's atmosphere as a gas. However the gaseous molecule is very stable and has to be transformed before it can be used by most organisms as it is only available to them when it is ammonium or nitrate. It can only be removed from the atmosphere in two ways: by lightning and by nitrogen fixation. Only a few species can convert nitrogen by nitrogen fixation to biologically useful forms. Due to this, biologically useful nitrogen is often in short supply and can be the limiting factor in an ecosystem. There are five main steps in the Nitrogen cycle: Biological Nitrogen Fixation This is the conversion of gaseous nitrogen to ammonia using an enzyme called nitrogenase that...
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