Nitrogen and Phosphorus Notes
1: What percent of nitrogen and phosphorus are in an animal’s
body? Note: We are considered to be animals too!
Nitrogen 3% , Phosphorus 1%
2: What do we need Nitrogen to make?
We need it to make Protein, DNA, amino acids
3: What do we need Phosphorus to make?
To make DNA and RNA
The Nitrogen Cycle
4: What percentage of the atmosphere is Nitrogen? What form is
atmospheric Nitrogen in?
78% of the atmosphere is nitrogen.
5: What is the chemical formula for Nitrate? ____NO2______
Nitrite? _____NO3____
Ammonium? ____NH4_______
6: What is Nitrogen Fixation?
The atmosphere coverts nitrogen to ammonium.
7: What are Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria?
Bacteria that make fixed nitrogen from the nitrogen available.
8: What plants are in the Legumes Family? What does it mean that they
form a symbiotic relationship?
Soy, nuts, lentil. They stick to other things like bacteria.
9: What form of Nitrogen is usable by plants? What enzyme makes it useful?
Plants use ammonium. Nitrogenase
10: What does Nitrifying bacteria do?
Bacteria that change ammonia to nitrite.
11: What other things can break Nitrogen molecules apart?
Lighting and synthetic fertilizers
12: What is Denitrifying bacteria? Which enzyme does
this?
Bacteria that metabolize nitrogen compounds. Nitrate
The Phosphorus Cycle
13: What is special about the Phosphorus Cycle?
It doesn't use the atmosphere.
14: What is the Lithosphere? What special type of rock is rich
in Phosphorus?
Earth's crust
15: What is a lithotroph?
Bacteria that eats rocks from the lithosphere
16: How do Phosphates end up in the water? In the Soil?
By erosion and by being dissolved.
17: A single Phosphorus atom can get trapped in a cycle for how
long? Hundreds of thousands of years.
18: Diagram the Phosphorus Cycle below:
body? Note: We are considered to be animals too!
Nitrogen 3% , Phosphorus 1%
2: What do we need Nitrogen to make?
We need it to make Protein, DNA, amino acids
3: What do we need Phosphorus to make?
To make DNA and RNA
The Nitrogen Cycle
4: What percentage of the atmosphere is Nitrogen? What form is
atmospheric Nitrogen in?
78% of the atmosphere is nitrogen.
5: What is the chemical formula for Nitrate? ____NO2______
Nitrite? _____NO3____
Ammonium? ____NH4_______
6: What is Nitrogen Fixation?
The atmosphere coverts nitrogen to ammonium.
7: What are Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria?
Bacteria that make fixed nitrogen from the nitrogen available.
8: What plants are in the Legumes Family? What does it mean that they
form a symbiotic relationship?
Soy, nuts, lentil. They stick to other things like bacteria.
9: What form of Nitrogen is usable by plants? What enzyme makes it useful?
Plants use ammonium. Nitrogenase
10: What does Nitrifying bacteria do?
Bacteria that change ammonia to nitrite.
11: What other things can break Nitrogen molecules apart?
Lighting and synthetic fertilizers
12: What is Denitrifying bacteria? Which enzyme does
this?
Bacteria that metabolize nitrogen compounds. Nitrate
The Phosphorus Cycle
13: What is special about the Phosphorus Cycle?
It doesn't use the atmosphere.
14: What is the Lithosphere? What special type of rock is rich
in Phosphorus?
Earth's crust
15: What is a lithotroph?
Bacteria that eats rocks from the lithosphere
16: How do Phosphates end up in the water? In the Soil?
By erosion and by being dissolved.
17: A single Phosphorus atom can get trapped in a cycle for how
long? Hundreds of thousands of years.
18: Diagram the Phosphorus Cycle below:
19: What are the main ingredients in fertilizers?
Nitrogen and phosphorus
20: Why is too much of Nitrogen and Phosphorus bad for the environment?
Anything that is too much is bad.
Nitrogen and phosphorus
20: Why is too much of Nitrogen and Phosphorus bad for the environment?
Anything that is too much is bad.