Describe how nitrogen is cycled throughout living systems and the atmosphere. Your response should include the role of decomposers, producers, and consumers.
Nitrogen is an essential element for all living organisms, but it cannot be directly used in its atmospheric form (N2). The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted into different forms that can be used by living organisms.
The nitrogen cycle begins with nitrogen fixation, where specialized bacteria in the soil or in the roots of leguminous plants convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (NO3-). Producers, such as plants, then take up these forms of nitrogen from the soil and incorporate them into their tissues.
Consumers, such as animals, obtain nitrogen by consuming plants or other animals. Nitrogen is then used to build proteins and other macromolecules essential for growth and functioning.
When plants and animals die, nitrogen is returned to the soil through the process of decomposition. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break down the organic material and release nitrogen back into the soil in the form of ammonia. This nitrogen can then be taken up by plants and the cycle continues.
Some nitrogen is also returned to the atmosphere through denitrification, where bacteria convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas. This completes the nitrogen cycle, ensuring that nitrogen is continuously recycled and available for use by living organisms.