MadSci Network: General Biology |
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
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on General Biology.