Bacteria in the Nitrogen Cycle
... place in the nodules on the roots of a specific legume plant. (Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2002) Examples of such legumes are peas, alfalfa and clover. The second kind of nitrogen-fixing bacteria are free-living bacteria, such as those from the genus Azotobacter and Clostrodium. (Concepts in Biology, 1994) They directly convert nitrogen molecules from the atmosphere to ammonia in the ground without any physical union with plants. Nitrifying bacteria produce nitrates and nitrites as their product from ammonia. (Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2002) They flourish in well-aerated soil because the process of nitrification is an aerobic one. Bacteria of the genus Nitrosomonas oxidize ammonia into nitrates and the genus Nitrobacter oxidizes nitrates into nitrites. Denitrifying bacteria completes the cycle by returning the water-soluble nitrates that flow into the oceans to the atmosphere. (Concepts in Biology, 1994) Heterotrophic bacteria carry out denitrification. The process is an anaerobic one. The advantage of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle is that it allows plants to receive sufficient nitrogen through their roots. (Concepts in Biology, 1994) Nitrogen is a fundamental nutrient in the plant system. Nitrogen plays a role in the synthesis of proteins in plants. Besides that, bacteria in the nitrogen cycle help keep the nitrogen cycle in balance. It ensures that the ratio of nitrogen in the atmosphere to those in the ground is in equilibrium. Bacteria also maintain the nitrate content in the ground. (Global Population and the Nitrogen Cycle, 1997) One of the major advantages of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle is its decomposition ability. (Concepts in Biology, 1994) It helps to speed up the process of decomposition of dead organisms by converting ammonia into nitrites, which are then converted into nitrites. Therefore, it is the natural process of getting rid of dead organisms. Bacteria also boost the system of the crops. (Global Population and the Nitrogen Cycle, 1997) This is important to farmers and countries that are agricultural based. The disadvantage of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle is that denitrification and nitrogen fixing is a slow process. (Global Population and the Nitrogen Cycle, 1997) This indirectly leads to other means of synthetic nitrogen processing such as the Haber process because the rate of nitrogen fixing and nitrification is insufficient. Bacteria in the nitrogen cycle are also sensitive to any changes such as pH. This means that the natural process of b...