Nitrogen cycle

Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into nitrates. Nitrification is an important step in the nitrogen cycle in soil. This process was discovered by the Russian microbiologist, Sergei Winogradsky. This is an image of nitrogen cycle taken from this [1] EPA website. ... This is an image of nitrogen cycle taken from this [1] EPA website. ... Schematic representation of the flow of Nitrogen through the environment. ... Illustration of a redox reaction Redox (shorthand for oxidation/reduction reaction) describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. ... For other uses, see Ammonia (disambiguation). ... // Definition The nitrite ion is NO2−. A nitrite compound is one that contains this group, either an ionic compound, or an analogous covalent one. ... Trinitrate redirects here. ... Schematic representation of the flow of Nitrogen through the environment. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Technically, soil forms the pedosphere: the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. ... A Microbiologist is a biologist that studies the field of microbiology. ... Nitrogen cycle Sergei Nikolaievich Winogradsky (1856, Kiev - 1953, Paris) is a Russian microbiologist who discovered the biological process of nitrification, the first known form of chemoautotrophy. ...

The oxidation of ammonia into nitrite, and the subsequent oxidation to nitrate is performed by two different bacteria (nitrifying bacteria). The first step is done by bacteria of (amongst others) the genus Nitrosomonas and Nitrosococcus. The second step (oxidation of nitrite into nitrate) is (mainly) done by bacteria of the genus Nitrobacter, with both steps producing energy to be coupled to ATP synthesis. Nitrifying organisms are chemoautotrophs, and use carbon dioxide as their carbon source for growth. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Species Nitrosomonas cryotolerans Nitrosomonas europaea Nitrosomonas is a genus comprising ellipsoidal soil bacteria. ... Nitrobacter is a rod-shaped bacteria, which is an important part of the nitrogen cycle. ... Flowchart to determine if a species is autotroph, heterotroph, or a subtype Chemotrophs are organisms that obtain energy by the oxidation of electron donating molecules in their environments. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. ... For other uses, see Carbon (disambiguation). ...

Nitrification also plays an important role in the removal of nitrogen from municipal wastewater. The conventional removal is nitrification, followed by denitrification. The cost of this process resides mainly in aeration (bringing oxygen in the reactor) and the addition of an external carbon source (e.g. methanol) for the denitrification. General Name, symbol, number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ... Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Aeration is the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid (usually water) or substance (such as soil). ... Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naptha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable, poisonous liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than ethanol (ethyl alcohol). ...

In most environments both organisms are found together, yielding nitrate as the final product. It is possible however to design systems in which selectively nitrite is formed (the Sharon process).

Together with ammonification, nitrification forms a mineralization process which refers to the complete decomposition of organic material, with the release of available nitrogen compounds. This replenishes the nitrogen cycle. Mineralization in soil science, is when the elements in organic matter decomposes into plant accessible forms[1]. mineralization is the alternative to Immobilization. ... Schematic representation of the flow of Nitrogen through the environment. ...

Chemistry

Nitrification is a process of nitrogen compound oxidation (effectively, loss of electrons from the nitrogen atom to the oxygen atoms) : Illustration of a redox reaction Redox (shorthand for oxidation/reduction reaction) describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. ...

1. NH₃ + O₂ → NO₂⁻ + 3H⁺ + 2e⁻
2. NO₂⁻ + H₂O → NO₃⁻ + 2H⁺ + 2e⁻

See also

• f-ratio
• Martinus Beijerinck

In oceanic biogeochemistry, the f-ratio is the fraction of total primary production fuelled by nitrate (as opposed to that fuelled by other nitrogen compounds such as ammonium). ... Martinus Willem Beijerinck (March 16, 1851 - January 1, 1931) was a Dutch microbiologist and botanist. ...

References

• Nitrification at the heart of filtration at fishdoc.co.uk
• Nitrification at University of Aberdeen · King's College
• Nitrification Basics for Aerated Lagoon Operators at lagoonsonline.com