Most organisms require nitrogen to produce biological molecules, such as nucleotides and amino acids, but until recently, only prokaryotes were known to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. “It’s a very ...

Bacteria are only the only organisms that are able to 'fix' nitrogen, or remove it from the atmosphere and convert it into a useful form. While some plants seem to fix nitrogen, it is actually ...

You may already know that nitrogen is essential for healthy plants. It's the first number listed in fertilizers, and it's the element that makes leaves deep green and stems sturdy. Nitrogen is ...

All known life forms require nitrogen. However, more than 70% of all nitrogen on Earth occurs as inert, triple-bonded dinitrogen gas in the atmosphere, which is generally biologically unavailable. A ...

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture is not sustainable. A team of bacteriologists and plant scientists discuss the ...

Nitrogen is an essential component in the production of amino acids and nucleic acids -- both necessary for cell growth and function. Atmospheric nitrogen must first be converted, or 'fixed,' into a ...