What is the term for the biological process by which atmospheric nitrogen gas is converted into ammonia by prokaryotic microorganisms such as Rhizobium?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Biological nitrogen fixation is the enzymatic process through which atmospheric nitrogen gas is reduced into ammonia by specialized prokaryotic microorganisms possessing the nitrogenase enzyme complex, such as Rhizobium living symbiotically in root nodules. Nitrification involves converting ammonia into nitrites and nitrates by soil bacteria, which is a distinctly different step in the global nitrogen cycle. General science sections frequently examine the precise roles of microorganisms in biogeochemical nutrient cycling.