What is the purpose of nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

Answer 1

Although the air is made up of about 70% nitrogen, plants cannot use nitrogen in this N2 form. Nitrogen fixing bacteria change nitrogen into the form of soluble nitrates so that plants can use it. Other bacteria, known as de-nitrifying bacteria, change nitrates back into N2, which completes the nitrogen cycle

Updated by: Levi Levitt

Answer 2

it captures the free nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert into nitrates and nitrites which can be absorbed by the plants
They convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates and nitrites which can be used by the plant.
Through the process of nitrification. Ammonium is converted into nitrate. Nitrification takesplacein two stages and involves certain soil bacteria known as nitrifying bacteria.

Stages:

1) Certain species of nitrifying bacteria convert ammonium into nitrite.

2) Different species of nitrifying bacteria convert nitrite into nitrate.

Once nitrates are made available by nitrifying bacteria, nitrates can enter plant roots and eventually be incorporated into plant proteins.

Symbiotic bacteria called rhizobiums inhabit the root nodules of plants where the fix nitrogen for the plant to use.

Answer 3

Break down (or fix) nitrogen so it can be used by the plant. Plants can only use soluble nitrates, and the nitrifying bacteria changes the N2 (nitrogen in the air) into these nitrates (NO3-) that can be absorbed by the plant.

Answer 4

Breaks down triple bonded atmospheric nitrogen, something plants can usually not do, with an enzyme tasked with this biochemical job and then fixes the nitrogen into a usable for for plant uptake. The bacteria is then " rewarded " with sugar from the plant's photosynthetic processes.

Answer 5

Nitrogen fixing bacteria "fixes" nitrogen found in the air, and produces nitrates. These nitrates are used by the plants as a mineral in photosynthesis.

Answer 6

fix nitrogen into the bacteria which helps plants with photosynethesis.