Biology / Unit 9 Bio 1961 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Prokaryotes and the Nitrogen Cycle
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The idea
Prokaryotes drive nearly every step of the nitrogen cycle: fixation converts atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, nitrification oxidizes it, denitrification returns it to air.
In practice
In agricultural soil, nitrifying bacteria convert crop-applied ammonia fertilizer to nitrate, the form most crop roots take up most readily.
Where people slip
Eukaryotes cannot fix atmospheric nitrogen — every step of biological nitrogen fixation on Earth depends on prokaryotes.
Your place on the trail
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