can living organisms incorporate nitrogen gas into their metabolism
1 answer
Yes, living organisms can incorporate nitrogen gas into their metabolism through a process called nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen gas (N2) is abundant in the Earth's atmosphere but cannot be directly used by most organisms. Nitrogen fixation refers to the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas into a biologically usable form such as ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (NO3-) through enzymatic reactions carried out by certain types of bacteria, archaea, and some plants. This fixed or reduced nitrogen can then be incorporated into the cells of living organisms and used in various metabolic processes, including the synthesis of amino acids, nucleotides, and other nitrogen-containing molecules.