Page 2: Research news on Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is a biogeochemical process encompassing the biologically mediated and abiotic transformations of nitrogen between atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic reservoirs, enabling its assimilation into and release from living organisms. Key microbial processes include nitrogen fixation (conversion of N₂ to bioavailable ammonia), nitrification (oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and nitrate), assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrate reduction, ammonification (mineralization of organic nitrogen to ammonium), and denitrification and anammox, which return nitrogen to gaseous forms (N₂, N₂O). This cycle regulates nitrogen availability, constrains primary productivity, and is tightly coupled to carbon and oxygen cycles in ecosystems.