Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle - is a biogeochemical process through which nitrogen is converted into many forms, consecutively passing from the atmosphere to the soil to organism and back into the atmosphere.
• Nitrogen Fixation - The process by which nitrogen is converted from the atmosphere into a form that can be used by plants mainly through precipitation. Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) which is primarily available in an inert form, is converted into the usable form -ammonia (NH3).
• Nitrification - the ammonia is converted into nitrate by the presence of bacteria in the soil. This conversion is very important as ammonia gas is toxic for plants.
• Assimilation - plants take in the nitrogen compounds from the soil with the help of their roots, which are available in the form of ammonia, nitrite ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions and are used in the formation of the plant and animal proteins.
• Ammonification - When plants or animals die, the nitrogen present in the organic matter is released back into the soil. The decomposers, namely bacteria or fungi present in the soil, convert the organic matter back into ammonium.
• Denitrification -  process in which the nitrogen compounds make their way back into the atmosphere by converting nitrate (NO3-)  into gaseous nitrogen (N).