What is the of nitrogen in earths atmosphere?

Answer 1

Nitrogen makes up 78% by volume of dry air, and makes up 4% of the dry weight of plant matter and 3% of the human weight. It is a necessary component of living organisms. Atmospheric nitrogen cannot be accessed by plants or animals, so it is converted for plant uptake and then animal ingestion via three processes:

• Biological nitrogen fixation: via soil organisms such as actinomycetes
• Chemical nitrogen fixation: manufactured for ammonium-based fertilizers
• Atomospheric addition: deposited on earth via industrial wastes, rain and lightning.

So to directly answer the question, the function of atmospheric nitrogen is as a storage facility. The nitrogen is made into a useable chemical compound via 3 processes and through those processes becomes part of every living thing on the planet.