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Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen (N 2) is converted into ammonia (NH 3). [1] It occurs both biologically and abiologically in chemical industries. Biological nitrogen fixation or diazotrophy is catalyzed by enzymes called nitrogenases. [2]
Most biological nitrogen fixation occurs by the activity of molybdenum (Mo)-nitrogenase, found in a wide variety of bacteria and some Archaea. Mo-nitrogenase is a complex two-component enzyme that has multiple metal-containing prosthetic groups. [22] An example of free-living bacteria is Azotobacter.
Abiological nitrogen fixation describes chemical processes that fix (react with) N 2, usually with the goal of generating ammonia. The dominant technology for abiological nitrogen fixation is the Haber process, which uses iron-based heterogeneous catalysts and H 2 to convert N 2 to NH 3. This article focuses on homogeneous (soluble) catalysts ...
Then the nitrogen is transferred to higher trophical levels and human beings. The formation and storage of nitrogen will all influenced by the transformation process. Also the available nitrogen fixed by the diazotroph is environmentally sustainable, which can reduce the use of fertilizer, which can be an important topic in agricultural research.
Nitrogenase is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing nitrogen fixation, which is the reduction of nitrogen (N 2) to ammonia (NH 3) and a process vital to sustaining life on Earth. [9] There are three types of nitrogenase found in various nitrogen-fixing bacteria: molybdenum (Mo) nitrogenase, vanadium (V) nitrogenase, and iron-only (Fe ...
Heterocysts or heterocytes are specialized nitrogen-fixing cells formed during nitrogen starvation by some filamentous cyanobacteria, such as Nostoc, Cylindrospermum, and Anabaena. [1] They fix nitrogen from dinitrogen (N 2) in the air using the enzyme nitrogenase, in order to provide the cells in the filament with nitrogen for biosynthesis. [2]
Interest in such complexes arises because N 2 comprises the majority of the atmosphere and because many useful compounds contain nitrogen. Biological nitrogen fixation probably occurs via the binding of N 2 to those metal centers in the enzyme nitrogenase, followed by a series of steps that involve electron transfer and protonation. [12]
The lighter isotope of nitrogen, 14 N, is preferred during denitrification, leaving the heavier nitrogen isotope, 15 N, in the residual matter. This selectivity leads to the enrichment of 14 N in the biomass compared to 15 N. [ 27 ] Moreover, the relative abundance of 14 N can be analyzed to distinguish denitrification apart from other ...