MadSci Network: General Biology
Query:

Subject: significance of nitrifying bacteria

Date: Wed May 23 07:53:37 2007
Posted by shourya
Grade level: 10-12 School: No school entered.
City: No city entered. State/Province: london Country: No country entered.
Area of science: General Biology
ID: 1179932017.Gb
Message:

hi,i am confused about the nitrogen cycle. i have read that ammonium ions are 
required by plants to form amino acids. i have also read that nitrates are 
required by plants. my question to you is that if ammonium ions can produce 
the required amino acids then why does the plant need to take up nitrates at 
all. one more thing when plants and animals die, saprobiontic bacteria convert 
organic nitrogen from dead plants and animals into its inorganic form i.e. of 
ammonia. then why is this ammonia converted back to nitrates if according to 
one of the answers on your website, nitrates have to convert into ammonium 
ions for the plant to absorb them. why do they convert into nitrates when they 
have to convert back into ammonium anyway. lastly, can ammonium ions cause 
ammonium toxicity in the soil. sorry if this is all silly stuff, but i want to 
clear up this confusion. thankyou!


Re: significance of nitrifying bacteria

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