Nitrogen Fixing

Plants need nitrogen to build chlorophyll and amino acids. Without nitrogen they’ll die. However, nitrogen gas in the air is inert – plants can’t use it directly. Instead, they have various ways to gather it from the soil.

Nitrogen fixing is the process where pure nitrogen is converted into a nitrogen compound that plants can use in chemical reactions to extract the nitrogen they need.

Pea plants generally have root nodules that host bacteria that fix nitrogen. This gives them a direct source of nitrogen for their own uses, and leaves behind enriched soil when they die.

Johann Dreo © CC-BY-SA-3.0 Wikimedia Commons

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