Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen cycle consists of Nitrogen and its compounds cycling around the atmosphere.
- Nitrogen is taken from atmosphere by various processes:
- Habour process (used for making fertilisers, they are used for increasing plant growth)
- Lightning combines Nitrogen and Oxygen because of high energy to create Nitrogen Oxide compounds
- Nitrogen fixing bacteria - usually exchanging with plants for carbon, gives nitrogen compounds after using Nitrogen in the soil or taken from atmosphere.
- Nitrogen itself goes into soil too, related to the bacteria
- Nitrogen compounds (incl. proteins) are made by plants and then used by animals for growth.
- The process to return nitrogen to the atmosphere happens with help of denitrifying bacteria which converts nitrates into nitrogen and oxygen
- Proteins/nitrates are also in the soil after death of animals and plants
