Nitrogen Cycle

AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Nitrogen Cycle
Presented by:
BSEE 4-A Group 3
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
Topics Covered
• What is Nitrogen?
• Five Steps of Nitrogen Cycle
• Types of Nitrogen Fixation
• Importance of Nitrogen Cycle
• Additional Informations
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
What is
Nitrogen?
A brief introduction of Nitrogen
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
Introduction Nitrogen, or N, atomic number 7, atomic mass is

14.0067 u
to • is a colorless, odorless element.

• Nitrogen is in the soil under our feet, in the water
Nitrogen we drink, and in the air we breathe.

• Nitrogen is the most abundant element in Earth’s
atmosphere: approximately 78% of the atmosphere
is nitrogen
• All living organisms, including humans, require
nitrogen for their survival. This element plays a
key role in providing structure and support to
living beings, as it forms proteins and nucleic acid
components.
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Who
discovered
Nitrogen?
Daniel Rutherford was a Scottish physician,

chemist, and botanist known for nitrogen
isolation in 1772.
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• The nitrogen cycle refers to the movement of
What is the nitrogen within and between the atmosphere,

biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
Nitrogen Cycle? • Nitrogen undergoes a series of processes, in

which it moves through various living and non-
living components such as the atmosphere,
soil, water, plants, animals, and bacteria,
forming a recurring cycle known as the
nitrogen cycle.
• Nitrogen cycle consists of five steps that are
Nitrogen fixation, assimilation,
ammonification, nitrification, and
denitrification.
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/nitrogen/#:~:text=The%20nitrogen%20cycle%20matters%20because,material%20(RNA%20and%20DNA).
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Five Types
Five Steps of • Fixation
Nitrogen Cycle 2. Assimilation
3. Ammonification
4. Nitrification
5. Denitrification
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https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/nitrogen/#:~:text=The%20nitrogen%20cycle%20matters%20because,material%20(RNA%20and%20DNA).
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1. Nitrogen
Fixation • Nitrogen fixation, a crucial process for the
enrichment of soil and plants, can occur
through physical, chemical, or biological
means. Among these, biological nitrogen
fixation is particularly significant
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Types of Atmospheric fixation
Nitrogen Industrial nitrogen fixation

Biological nitrogen fixation
Fixation
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Atmospheric
Fixation • Atmospheric fixation: A natural
phenomenon where the energy of
lightning breaks the nitrogen into
nitrogen oxides, which plants then use.
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Industrial
Nitrogen • It is a man-made alternative that aids in
Fixation nitrogen fixation by the use of ammonia.

Ammonia is produced by the direct
combination of nitrogen and hydrogen. Later,
it is converted into various fertilizers such as
urea.
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Biological
Nitrogen • We already know that nitrogen is
not used directly from the air by
Fixation plants and animals.
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2. Nitrogen
• Plants and animals incorporate
Assimilation nitrates and ammonia into their
tissues to form protein and nucleic
acids.
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3. Nitrogen
Ammonification
• The process involves the
transformation of nitrogen from
organic compounds into ammonia.
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4. Nitrogen
• Nitrification is a soil-mediated
Nitrification process that requires oxygen and
involves the conversion of reduced
nitrogen compounds, such as
ammonia, to nitrate and nitrite.
This process is facilitated by soil
bacteria Nitrosomonas and
Nitrobacter.
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5. Nitrogen
Denitrification • Denitrification is an anaerobic
process that involves the
conversion of nitrate to nitrogen
gas, which is then released back
into the atmosphere.
• It serves as a checkpoint in the
soil, ensuring that nitrogen is not
lost and remains in the form of
nitrogen gas.
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Additional What will happen if we have too
Information much Nitrogen?

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Eutrophication
• When an excess amount of

nitrogen enters the water, it can
cause eutrophication - a process
characterized by an overgrowth of
plants and algae.
https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00041
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Stages of Eutrophication
https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00041
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Importance of
Nitrogen Cycle
• Helps in converting inert nitrogen gas into a usable form for the
plants through the biochemical process. In the process of
ammonification, the bacteria help in decomposing the animal and
plant matter, which indirectly helps to clean up the environment
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
What happens
• Nitrogen is extremely important to
when there is not living material. Plants, animals and
humans could not live without it. If
enough nitrogen on there is a shortage in nitrogen then
plants may grow slowly
earth?
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• Dead and decaying matter in the

soil
• Rocks
Sources of
• Animal Excreta
• Nitrogen Cycle nitrogen
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• Plants fix atmospheric nitrogen

• Storage purposes
Uses of •
•
Production of ammonia
Way to preserve foods and in the
nitrogen electronics industry.

• Liquid nitrogen is often used as a
refrigerant.
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• The human body comprises 3%

nitrogen (by mass).
• It is an essential part of amino
Importance of
acids (makeup proteins), nucleic
acids (DNA, RNA), ATP (energy
nitrogen for
molecule), etc.
• It is nearly impossible to live
without nitrogen.
humans
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
References:
Aczel, M. R. (2019, March 12). What Is the Nitrogen Cycle and Why Is It Key to Life? Frontiers for Young
Minds. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00041
Brune, D., Killpack, S. C., & Buchholz, D. (2015, February 16). Nitrogen in the Environment: What is Nitrogen? |
MU Extension. University of Missouri Extension. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/wq251
Taylor, S. (n.d.). The Nitrogen Cycle Study Guide | Inspirit. Inspirit VR.
https://www.inspiritvr.com/general-bio/ecology/nitrogen-cycle-study-guide
University of California Regents. (n.d.). Nitrogen. Understanding Global Change.

https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/nitrogen/
https://byjus.com/biology/nitrogen-cycle/\
https://byjus.com/question-answer/can-humans-live-without-nitrogen/
AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL
Nitrogen Cycle
Presented by:
BSEE 4-A Group 3

Nitrogen Cycle

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AC3- ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

• Five Steps of Nitrogen Cycle

• Types of Nitrogen Fixation

• Importance of Nitrogen Cycle

Introduction Nitrogen, or N, atomic number 7, atomic mass is

to • is a colorless, odorless element.

Nitrogen we drink, and in the air we breathe.

Daniel Rutherford was a Scottish physician,

What is the nitrogen within and between the atmosphere,

Nitrogen Cycle? • Nitrogen undergoes a series of processes, in

Five Steps of • Fixation

Nitrogen Cycle 2. Assimilation

Types of Atmospheric fixation

Nitrogen Industrial nitrogen fixation

Fixation nitrogen fixation by the use of ammonia.

Additional What will happen if we have too

Information much Nitrogen?

• When an excess amount of

• Dead and decaying matter in the

• Plants fix atmospheric nitrogen

nitrogen electronics industry.

• The human body comprises 3%

University of California Regents. (n.d.). Nitrogen. Understanding Global Change.

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