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Questions tagged [nitrogen-cycle]

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Why do animals excrete organic nitrogen compounds instead of N2 gas?

Protein metabolism produces ammonia, which needs to be disposed of; but oxidation of ammonia into water and dinitrogen produces energy, while creating urea or uric acid consumes energy, and excreting ...
Logan R. Kearsley's user avatar
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Bacterium fixed nitrogen transfer mechanism

As it is well known, Rhizobium and other bacteria have the capacity to fix Nitrogen and thus perform a crucial role in the natrual nitrogen cycle. I am trying to find a reliable source on how the ...
Grigoris L. 's user avatar
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Why does nitrification -oxidation consume organic matter?

I want to express some doubts regarding autotroph bacteria. The question I want to ask is relative to wastewater treatment plants, more precisely at the nitrification/denitrification step. I've ...
Domenico Bagnato's user avatar
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Nitrate fertilizer problem

Take the above problem. I understand how to do the calculation. However I can't seem to understand the units of the answer in the calculation. The answers illustrate the units as t/ha^-2 which is ...
James Chadwick's user avatar
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Why do bacteria denitrify?

Denitrification is the microbial respiration in anoxic condition. If the process is complete we have : $$2 \text{NO}_3^{-} + 10 \text{e}^{-} +12\text{H}^+ \rightarrow \text{N}_2 + 6 \text{H}_2\text{O}$...
Anthony's user avatar
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In this aquponic tank, what are these three plants and could they be killing my beta fish?

I have a small aquaponic fish tank. In the tank there are two unknown types of water plants from a local pet store and the top there are three air plants from a local garden center. This tank was ...
KDecker's user avatar
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1 answer
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How does free living nitrogen fixing bacteria fix N2 in aerobic condition?

If a Azotobacter is free living nitrogen fixer it will also require ATP through cellular respiration. I am confused here: if Nitrogenase is highly sensitive to oxygen molecule how will Azotobacter be ...
Hallway's user avatar
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What is the energetic costs in KJ/g NH3 for nitrogenase fixation

What is the energetic costs in KJ/g NH3 for nitrogenase fixation. I want to compare Haber-Bosch vs nitrogenase. How would I force the biological stochiometry of 8e- electrons into an energy quantity. $...
dlight's user avatar
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Will ammonia continue to accumulate in an aquarium tank if a strong antibacterial or chlorine is added to the water?

I've always wondered what would happen if dead plants and fecal matter lay in chlorinated waters and/or waters treated with strong antibacterials or antibiotics. I've heard that aquarium tanks ...
ARJ's user avatar
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In biological nitrogen fixation, the electrons required to reduce dinitrogen to ammonia are provided by which compound? [closed]

The reaction is as follows: N2 + 16ATP + 8e- + 8H+ → 2NH3 + H2 + 16ADP + 16Pi From where are the 8 electrons coming from? We know that in photosynthesis, the electrons are supplied by the oxidation ...
Kartikeya Sharma's user avatar
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Why is urea not converted to ammonia in the body?

After the liver processes metabolites to produce urea and other by-products, these travel in the blood to the heart, then they are oxygenated, and some travel through the renal artery to the kidneys. ...
Sudhanva's user avatar
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Difference between bacteria and bacteroids?

During nodule formation Rhizobium is converted to bacteroids. What's the difference between them?
Jacob P.J's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
605 views

Why do soil bacteria produce nitrous oxide as a result of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer application?

The NPR article and 4 minute audio news item Can Anyone, Even Walmart, Stem The Heat-Trapping Flood Of Nitrogen On Farms? discusses unexpected contributions of greenhouse gasses from the manufacture ...
uhoh's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Recycling and storage of nitrogen from breakdown of macromolecules?

If nitrogen is so important (it's a constituent of both proteins and nucleic acids), why are animals still throwing them out, and needing to eat it again? Is it true that in almost a billion years of ...
Rodrigo's user avatar
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10 votes
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Why do organisms excrete nitrogenous wastes?

Organisms excrete nitrogenous wastes in the form of urea, uric acid or ammonia. But isn’t that a bit of a waste? There is a shortage of biologically available nitrogen in the ecosystem, and plants ...
Gerard's user avatar
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