ENVI SCI SCRIPT (NITROGEN CYCLE)

BOTH: A PLEASANT MORNING TO YOU ALL. WE ARE HERE TO SHED

LIGHT ABOUT THE NITROGEN CYCLE AND EXPLORE HOW WE CAN
EFFICIENTLY RECYCLE AND REDISTRIBUTE NITROGEN IN VARIOUS
FORMS THROUGHOUT EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM. IN THIS PRESENTATION,
WE WILL DELVE INTO THE 5 STAGES OF NITROGEN CYCLE. SO FASTEN
YOUR SEATBELTS AS WE EMBARK ON THIS ENLIGHTNING JOURNEY
TOGETHER!

CHLOE: FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT IS THE NITROGEN CYCLE?

KAYE: THE NITROGEN CYCLE IS A CRUCIAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESS

THAT DESCRIBES HOW NITROGEN MOVES AND IS TRANSORMED
THROUGH VARIOUS STAGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

CHLOE: NITROGEN MIGHT NOT GET SPOKEN ABOUT AS MUCH AS

OTHER ATMOSPHERIC CHEMICALS LIKE OXYGEN (O) OR CARBON
DIOXIDE (CO2), BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT IS LESS IMPORTANT.

KAYE: IN FACT, ALL LIKE ON EARTH REQUIRES NITROGEN TO SURVIVE.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE IS ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL BIOGEOCHEMICAL
CYCLES TO UNDERSTAND.

CHLOE: THERE ARE 5 STAGES OF NITROGEN CYCLE

KAYE: THE FIRST STAGE IS NITROGEN FIXATION. IT IS A VITAL NATURAL

PROCESS THAT CONVERTS ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN GAS. THE SYMBOL
FOR NITROGEN GAS IS (N2). THIS MAKES UP ABOUT 78% OF EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE, INTO AMMONIA (NH3) OR OTHER NITROGEN
COMPOUNDS THAT CAN BE USED BY PLANTS AND OTHER ORGANISMS.
THIS CONVERSION IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE MOST ORGANISMS CANNOT
DIRECTLY USE ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN.

CHLOE: THESE ARE TWO PRIMARY WAYS NITROGEN FIXATION OCCURS.

BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION IN WHICH INVOLVES CERTAIN TYPES
OF MICROORGANISMS, INCLUDING NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA AND
CYNOBACTERIA (BLUE GREEN ALGAE).

KAYE: INDUSTRIAL NITROGEN FIXATION WHICH REFERS TO THE LARGE-

SCALE PRODUCTION OF AMMONIA OR NH3 THROUGH HUMAN-
ENGINEERED PROCESSES.THE MOST COMMON METHOS FOR
INDUSTRIAL NITROGEN FIXATION IS THE HABER-BOSCH PROCESS,
NAMED AFTER ITS INVENTORS FRITZ HABER AND CARL BOSCH.

CHLOE: THE SECOND STAGE, NITRIFICATION, CONVERTS AMMONIA TO

NITRATE. IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE IN SOIL
AND WATER, AS IT MAKES NITROGEN AVAILABLE FOR PLANTS AND
OTHER ORGANISMS.

KAYE: NITRIFICATION IS PERFORMED BY TWO GROUPS OF

MICROOGANISMS: AMMONIA-OXIDIZING BACTERIA OR AOB AND
NITRITE-OXIDIZING BACTERIA OR NOB.

CHLOE: NITRIFICATION IS INFLUENCED BY SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL

FACTORS, SUCH AS Ph, TEMPERATURE, OXYGEN AVAILABILITY,
LOADING RATE, TYPE OF MEDIA, DEPTH FILTER, DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
PRESENCE OF INHIBITORS, AND WASTEWATER BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN
DEMAND. THESE FACTORS AFFECT THE ACTIVITY AND GROWTH OF
NITRIYING MICROORGANISMS, AS WELL AS RATE AND EFFICIENCY OF
NITRIFICATION.
KAYE: THE THIRD STAGE ASSIMILATION, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE
NITROGEN CYCLE AND ECOLOGY, REFERS TO THE PROCESS BY WHICH
PLANTS AND OTHER ORGANISIMS TAKE UP INORGANIC FORMS OF
NITROGEN, SUCH AS NITRITE OR NO3- AND AMMONIA FROM THE
ENVIRONMENT AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO ORGANIC MOLECULES
WITHIN THEIR CELLS. THIS ASSIMILATED NITROGEN IS THEN USED TO
BUILD ESSENTIAL BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES LIKE PROTEINS, NUCLEIC
ACIDS (DNA AND RNA), AND CHLOROPHYLL.

PLANTS TYPICALLY ABSORB NITRATE AND AMMONIA FROM THE SOIL

THROUGH THEIR ROOTS. ONCE INSIDE THE PLANT, THESE NITROGEN
COMPOUNDS ARE ASSIMILATED INTO AMINO ACIDS, WHICH ARE
BUILDING BLOCKS OF PROTEIN FOR ITS GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
VARIOUS METABOLIC PROCESSES.

CHLOE: THE 4TH STAGE OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE, AMMONIFICATION, IS

WHERE ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS FROM DEAD PLANTS AND
ANIMALS, AS WELL AS THEIR WASTE PRODUCTS, ARE CONVERTED INTO
AMMONIA, OR AMMONIUM IONS OR NH4+. THIS PROCESS IS CARRIED
OUT BY DECOMPOSERS, PRIMARILY BACTERIA AND FUNGI.

WHEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS DIE OR EXCRETE NITROGEN-CONTAINING

COMPOUNDS, THEIR ORGANIC MATTER BECOMES A SUBSTRATE FOR
DECOMPOSER. THESE DECOMPOSERS BREAK DOWN THE COMPLEX
ORGANIC MOLECULES INTO SIMPLER FORMS, INCLUDING AMINO
ACIDS AND OTHER ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS. THEN,
THROUGH ENZYMATIC REACTIONS, THEY CONVERT THESE ORGANUC
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS INTO AMMONIA.

KAYE: LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, DENTRIFICATION, THE FIFTH STEP IN
THE NITROGEN CYCLE. IT IS A MICROBIAL PROCESS WHERE NITRATE
(NO3-) AND NITRITE (NO2-) IONS ARE CONVERTED INTO GASEOUS
NITROGEN COMPOUND, PRIMARILY NITROGEN GAS (N2). THIS
CONVERSION OCCURS UNDER ANAEROBIC OR LOW OXYGEN
CONDITION ANS IS CARRIED OUT BY SPECIALIZED BACTERIA.

THE KEY STEPS TO DENTRIFICATION ARE NITRATE REDUCTION AND

RELEASE O GASEOUS NITROGEN.

CHLOE: NITRATE REDUCTION IS WHERE DENITRIYING BACTERIA USE

NITRATE OR NITRITE IN ENVIRONMENTS WITH LOW OXYGEN LEVELS AS
AN ALTERNATIVE ELECTRON ACCEPTOR TO OXGEN DURING
RESPIRATION OR SIMPLY THE ACT OR PROCESS OF BREATHING.

KAYE: RELEASE OF GASEOUS NITROGEN: THE GASEOUS NITROGEN

PRODUCTS, SUCH AS NITROGEN GAS OR N2, AND NITROGEN OXIDE OR
N20, RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

BOTH: OVERALL, DENITRIFICATION PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN

REGULATING THE AVAILABILITY OF NITROGEN IN VARIOUS
ECOSYSTEMS AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE GLOBAL CYCLING OF
NITROGEN IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

KAYE: HUMAN IMPACT ON THE NITROGEN CYCLE

CHLOE: INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE

*READ THE REST ON SCREEN*

KAYE: INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

*READ THE REST ON SCREEN*

CHLOE: AIR POLLUTION

*READ THE REST ON SCREEN*

KAYE: IN CONCLUSION, THE NITROGEN CYCLE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF
THE EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET.

CHLOE: HUMANS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT AND MAINTAIN

THE NITROGEN CYCLE TO ENSURE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

KAYE: AS WE LEAVE THIS DISCUSSION, I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO

REFLECT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF
NITROGEN RESOURCES.

CHLOE: BY UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECTING THE DELICATE BALANCE

OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE, WE CAN MSKE INFORMED CHOICES TO
PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND SECURE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

BOTH: WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT

THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION.THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND
GOOD DAY! ;-;