It definitely does have an atmospheric component. When organic material is decomposed some of the microorganisms involved in doing this, called denitrifying bacteria, extract the nitrogen from the organic material and put it back in the atmosphere. Other bacteria take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into substances that plants can use. Thus the atmosphere serves as an enormous pool of nitrogen for life. Please see the wikipedia article about the nitrogen cycle for more information.
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∙ 10y agoFew organisms can directly utilize atmospheric nitrogen gas.
oxygen fixes atmospheric nitrogen
Some bacteria have the ability to "fix" nitrogen, that is they can utilize gaseous (atmospheric) nitrogen to produce organic compounds. (They can all break down compounds to free nitrogen too.)
The plant source of Nitrogen is Nitrate. Plants acquire nitrate through the Nitrogen Cycle. Atmospheric Nitrogen is absorbed by Nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The bacteria produce Ammonia which becomes Nitrite. Nitrite becomes Nitrate, the usable form of Nitrogen for plants. Nitrate is assimilated and absorbed by plants. Plants produce amino acids and proteins that are consumed in the food chain. Whatever consumes the proteins and amino acids will eventually die and the decomposition produces ammonia which turns into the atmospheric Nitrogen at the beginning of the cycle.
oxygen fixes atmospheric nitrogen
phosphorus cycle is the only one with no atmospheric component.
Few organisms can directly utilize atmospheric nitrogen gas.
Let me lick your tities
Plants are a part of the nitrogen and carbon cycles and it captures the energy from the sun.
Oxygen (~21%) is second to nitrogen (~78%) in the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
Actually nitrogen exist in the atmosphere in dinitrogen (N2) form and cannot be utilized directly. As such bacteria help in converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia which then can be used by the plants.
oxygen fixes atmospheric nitrogen
Why does atmospheric nitrogen need to be converted?
Nitrogen is a component of a protein.
Nitrogen is a component of a protein.
Because nitrifying bacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen in to chemical compounds. This nitrogen fixed by bacteria is utilized by plants in making proteins. Again several microbes including bacteria decompose organic matter in to inorganic compounds. Thus nitrogen cycle is maintained by the activity of bacteria, hence these are critical to nitrogen cycle.
Some bacteria have the ability to "fix" nitrogen, that is they can utilize gaseous (atmospheric) nitrogen to produce organic compounds. (They can all break down compounds to free nitrogen too.)