Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrogen fixation is a mechanism in which molecular nitrogen in the air is converted to ammonia ( NH3) or associated nitrogen compounds in the soil Atmospheric nitrogen is molecular dinitrogen, a relatively non-reactive molecule that is metabolically useless to all but a few microorganisms. Biological fixation of nitrogen converts N2 into ammonia which is metabolized by most species. Nitrogen fixation is crucial to life, as fixed inorganic nitrogen compounds are needed for the biosynthesis of all organic compounds containing nitrogen, such as amino acids and proteins, nucleoside triphosphates and nucleic acids. It is important for agriculture and the production of fertilizers as part of the nitrogen cycle.