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Herbivores obtain nitrogen just like any other animal - through the air, which is mostly composed of nitrogen. However, organic nitrogen that can be used in proteins is only found in autotrophs. Through the nitrogen cycle, atmospheric nitrogen is fixed as organic nitrogen which is assimilated by plants.
Herbivores, like omnivores and carnivores, get their nitrogen from food. The trick is getting the nitrogen "fixed" into the food in the first place. About 80% of earth's atmosphere is nitrogen, but atmospheric nitrogen is very nearly inert (the triple bond between the nitrogen atoms is difficult to break). It does not readily engage in chemical reactions, so plants and animals cannot get their nitrogen by breathing. Oxygen, on the other hand, reacts easily, so you'll find that you can get the oxygen you need directly from the atmosphere.
Plants extract carbon directly from the atmosphere--from carbon dioxide and photosynthesis. That carbon, plus water and some other ingredients, produce the carbohydrates and other nutrients we get from plants. But like us, plants can't capture atmospheric nitrogen. They have to get the nitrogen they need for proteins & DNA from another source.
So how does nitrogen get fixed into plants? Primarily via nitrogen compounds in the soil. There is a bit of nitrogen in any soil, thanks to decaying plants & animals and the activity of certain types of bacteria. But if you farm the soil intensively, you can quickly exhaust the naturally occurring nitrogen.
One way to build up the nitrogen in soil is to exploit a symbiotic relationship between certain types of bacteria and a few types of plants. Bacteria that grow on the roots of some bean plants convert atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that stay in the soil. This is the phenomenon behind crop rotation with soy beans--you let the bacteria on the soy bean's root replenish the nitrogen in the soil. Then crops you grow in that soil pass that nitrogen through the food chain. For example, an herbivore might eat the crop directly, or a carnivore could eat the flesh of an herbivore that ate the crop that grew in the field that once grew soy beans that hosted nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Another way to get the nitrogen into the soil is via animal waste. Manure contains a good deal of fixed nitrogen. Hence the smell that bothers city folk when they visit farm country.
Today, a good deal of the nitrogen in crops comes from manufactured fertilizer. The Haber-Bosch chemical process, developed about a hundred years ago, draws nitrogen from the air and fixes it in forms that can be used for fertilizer (or explosives.) About half of the nitrogen in your body came from the atmosphere via the Haber-Bosch process. (See "The Alchemy of Air" by Thomas Hager, 2008, for more on the history of Haber-Bosch.) Without Haber-Bosch, a couple billion of us humans would not be alive.
What else can I help you with?
What is the only way that animals can obtain nitrogen?
Animals obtain nitrogen primarily through the consumption of plants or other animals that contain nitrogen-containing compounds, such as proteins. They break down these compounds during digestion and reuse the nitrogen to build their own proteins and other essential molecules.
Why do plants and animal and other organisms need nitrogen?
Nitrogen is required by plants and animals for protein synthesis
What are animals that eat just plants called?
Animals that eat just plants are called herbivores. These animals obtain their energy and nutrients from consuming various parts of plants such as leaves, fruits, and roots. Examples include cows, rabbits, and deer.
Do moose eat bugs and other animals?
No. Moose are herbivores, they only eat plants. If they were to eat bugs it would be accidentally, and other animals would be out of a nitrogen or calcium craving.
What level consumer is a white tiger first or second?
A white tiger is considered a second-level consumer. As a carnivore, it preys on first-level consumers, such as herbivores, to obtain energy.
How do herbivores get the nitrogen they need to grow?
Herbivores get the nitrogen they need by eating plants.
Why herbivores need nitrogen?
Herbivores need nitrogen because it is essential for their metabolic systems and cellular structures.
How do herbivivor's obtain the nitrogen they need?
Herbivores, like all consumer organisms, obtain their component atoms from the food they ingest. They cannot obtain Nitrogen from air (even though the air is about 78% nitrogen). Nitrogen is a key atom in all proteins - as part of the "amine" group in the "amino-acid" that makes up the backbone of all protein chains. This amino acid usually remains intact once digested, to be used to create new proteins that the herbivore might need for its own purposes.
Why do herbivores neede nitrogen?
All organisms need nitrogen because it is a component of all proteins and many other essential molecules.
How does nitrogen enter the food chain?
Nitrogen enters the food chain through nitrogen-fixing bacteria which convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can absorb. Plants then take up this nitrogen through their roots and incorporate it into their tissues. When herbivores eat these plants, they obtain the nitrogen, and it continues up the food chain when carnivores eat the herbivores.
Why do herbivores nitrogen?
All organisms need nitrogen because it is a component of all proteins and many other essential molecules.
How do animals obtain the nitrogen they need?
mostly from food.
How do herbivores get nitrogen?
they eat plants wih nitrogen in them
How do animals get their nitrogen they need?
well, herbivores eat plants (which have nitrogen in them due to help from nitrogen fixating bacteria) then other animals eat herbivores. Since animals are heterotrophs they have to get their nutrients from other organisms.
How do producers obtain the nitrogen they need?
Producers obtain the nitrogen they need from the soil through their roots, where they absorb nitrogen in the form of nitrates or ammonium. Some plants have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use. Additionally, some producers can directly absorb nitrogen from decomposing organic matter.
How do animal obtain nitrogen?
Animals obtain nitrogen by eating plants which have absorbed nitrogen from the soil.
How do animals obtain the nitrogen they need to build compounds such as protiens?
Animals obtain the nitrogen they need to build proteins by consuming other organisms that contain nitrogen-rich compounds like proteins. The nitrogen in these compounds is eventually broken down and incorporated into the animal's own proteins through various metabolic processes. Additionally, some animals can also obtain nitrogen through the absorption of nitrogen-containing molecules from their environment.
