The Nitrogen Cycle

Step 1 - Nitrogen fixation

• Process where Nitrogen (N2) is converted to amonium(NH4+)
• Only way organisms get nitrogen from atmosphere

Step 2 - Nitrogen Uptake

• The nitrogen is taken by host plant, bacteria itself or soil organism
• It is then incorporated into DNA and protein

Step 3 - Nitrogen mineralization

• When nitrogen is taken by host plant, it is then converted back into in-organic matter
• This is known as nitrogen mineralization, or decay

Step 4 - Nitrification

• Ammonium produced by decay is converted into nitrate (NO3-)
• Nitrification requires a lot of oxygen

Step 5 - Denitrification

• Oxidized forms of nitrogen, such as nitrate & nitrite convert to dinitrogen