Nitrogen in ecosystems
The chemical element nitrogen is essential to living organisms because it is needed to make proteinOrganic compound made up of amino acid molecules. One of the three main food groups, proteins are needed by the body for cell growth and repair., which are essential for growth and repair and as enzymes and hormones.
The nitrogen cycle
Most nitrogen is found in the air as a gas. Most plants obtain nitrogen in the form of nitrateThe chemical absorbed from the soil by plants to produce their protein. from the soil and use them to produce proteins. Animals obtain nitrogen as part of the proteins they consume.
The movement of nitrogen between the air, soil compounds and compounds in the bodies of living organisms is called the nitrogen cycleThe sequence of events or processes involved in the recycling of nitrogen in the environment.. Different groups of bacteriaSingle-celled microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic in humans, animals and plants. Singular is bacterium. are very important for keeping the cycle going so that nitrogen is always available in a form that living organisms can use.
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