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claire anne pagobo
claire anne pagobo

The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen is transformed between organic and inorganic forms that plants can use. Organic nitrogen comes from animal and plant waste and is converted by soil microbes into inorganic ammonium or nitrates. Plants take up these inorganic forms, but other microbes can also convert nitrogen back into gas and release it into the atmosphere, completing the cycle. The nitrogen cycle is essential for providing plants with the nitrogen they need for healthy growth.

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The Nitrogen Cycle In the nitrogen (N) cycle, organic nitrogen exists in materials formed from animal, human, and plant activities that produce manures, sewage waste, compost, and decomposing roots or leaves. These organic products transform into organic soil material called humus. Inorganic nitrogen comes from minerals, and is added to soil from precipitation, or as fertilizers. Adding N to the soil is done to help living plants growa and remain healthy. However, plants cannot use organic forms of nitrogen so certain microbes living in the soil come to the rescue and convert organic forms of N into inorganic forms that plants can then use. There are different forms of inorganic nitrogen that are available to plants. Some of these can be stored in the soil (such as ammonium, NH4 +). Other forms of nitrogen that are not held by the soil particles (such as nitrate NO3 -, and nitrite NO2 -) can leach out of the soil and into the groundwater, or can be transformed into nitrogen gases (N2, NO, or N2O) and ammonia gas (NH3), escape out of the soil (volatilize), and into the Earth's atmosphere. Luckily there are other kinds of microbes that live in the soil, and close to Earth's surface, that can convert Nitrogen gas into inorganic forms of N that plants can then use. When plants die they contribute organic N to the soil and certain microbes, yet again, do their job of converting organic N into inorganic N that living plants can use! Below, see an illustration of the N cycle, how N changes when it is in soil, water and air, and find out what those interesting nitrogen cycle terms mean!
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  • 1. The Nitrogen Cycle In the nitrogen (N) cycle, organic nitrogen exists in materials formed from animal, human, and plant activities that produce manures, sewage waste, compost, and decomposing roots or leaves. These organic products transform into organic soil material called humus. Inorganic nitrogen comes from minerals, and is added to soil from precipitation, or as fertilizers. Adding N to the soil is done to help living plants growa and remain healthy. However, plants cannot use organic forms of nitrogen so certain microbes living in the soil come to the rescue and convert organic forms of N into inorganic forms that plants can then use. There are different forms of inorganic nitrogen that are available to plants. Some of these can be stored in the soil (such as ammonium, NH4 +). Other forms of nitrogen that are not held by the soil particles (such as nitrate NO3 -, and nitrite NO2 -) can leach out of the soil and into the groundwater, or can be transformed into nitrogen gases (N2, NO, or N2O) and ammonia gas (NH3), escape out of the soil (volatilize), and into the Earth's atmosphere. Luckily there are other kinds of microbes that live in the soil, and close to Earth's surface, that can convert Nitrogen gas into inorganic forms of N that plants can then use. When plants die they contribute organic N to the soil and certain microbes, yet again, do their job of converting organic N into inorganic N that living plants can use! Below, see an illustration of the N cycle, how N changes when it is in soil, water and air, and find out what those interesting nitrogen cycle terms mean!