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Related Concept Videos

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation01:22

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation

Nitrogen is an essential element in biological systems, forming a crucial component of proteins, nucleic acids, and other cellular constituents. Many bacteria and archaea acquire nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO₃⁻) or ammonia (NH₃), which are then assimilated into biomolecules through specific enzymatic pathways.Assimilatory Nitrate ReductionWhen nitrate enters the cell, it undergoes a two-step reduction process known as assimilatory nitrate reduction. Initially, the enzyme nitrate reductase...
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The nitrogen cycle is a complex biogeochemical process critical to maintaining the balance of nitrogenous compounds in ecosystems. This cycle involves multiple microbial-mediated transformations through which nitrogen changes oxidation states, supporting essential ecological functions and contributing to plant and microbial growth.Nitrogen Fixation and AmmonificationNitrogen fixation initiates the cycle by converting inert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable ammonia (NH₃), a process...
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Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...
Microbial Mats01:25

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Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
Marine Microbial Ecology01:30

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Marine microbial ecosystems are shaped by distinct physicochemical limits, including high salinity, low nutrient availability, and fluctuating oxygen levels. These conditions favor smaller microbial cell sizes, which maximize their surface-to-volume ratio for efficient nutrient uptake.Microbial activity and community composition are closely linked to biogeochemical cycles, particularly in dynamic environments like estuaries, where halotolerant microbes thrive in response to variable salinity...
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism01:20

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Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of  ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or  nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...

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Updated: May 31, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
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Published on: October 7, 2020

Emerging patterns of marine nitrogen fixation.

Jill A Sohm1, Eric A Webb, Douglas G Capone

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences and Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA. sohm@usc.edu

Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|June 17, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Biological nitrogen (N2) fixation is crucial for marine ecosystems, supplying new nitrogen for carbon export. Iron availability, influenced by dust deposition, dictates nutrient limitation and diazotroph distribution in oceans.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine microbial ecology
  • Biogeochemical cycles
  • Oceanography

Background:

  • Biological nitrogen (N2) fixation is a key process in the marine nitrogen cycle.
  • It supplies new nitrogen, supporting carbon export and sequestration.
  • Recent research has focused on diazotroph distribution and environmental drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the factors controlling marine biological nitrogen (N2) fixation.
  • To describe how iron deposition influences nutrient limitation and diazotroph species distribution.
  • To identify remaining questions in the field.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on marine nitrogen cycling.
  • Analysis of the role of iron deposition in ocean basins.
  • Synthesis of factors affecting biological nitrogen (N2) fixation.

Main Results:

  • Iron availability, controlled by dust deposition, is a major factor influencing nutrient limitation for nitrogen fixation.
  • Iron deposition patterns correlate with the distribution of different diazotrophic species.
  • Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding temperature, fixed nitrogen, CO2, and physical forcing.

Conclusions:

  • Iron availability is a critical determinant of marine biological nitrogen (N2) fixation patterns.
  • Understanding the interplay of various environmental factors is essential for predicting future ocean productivity.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex controls on marine nitrogen fixation.