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Related Concept Videos

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation01:22

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation

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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...
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C4 Pathway and CAM01:27

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Most plants use the C3 pathway for carbon fixation. However, some plants, such as sugar cane, corn, and cacti that grow in hot conditions, use alternative pathways to fix carbon and conserve energy loss due to photorespiration. Photorespiration is the process that occurs when the oxygen concentration is high. Under such conditions, the rubisco enzyme in the Calvin cycle binds O2 instead of CO2, which halts photosynthesis and consumes energy.
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Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
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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.
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Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, it is an inefficient enzyme, having an extremely slow catalytic rate. A typical enzyme can process about a thousand molecules per second; however, RuBisCo fixes only around three-carbon dioxides per second. Photosynthetic cells compensate for this slow rate by synthesizing very high amounts of RuBisCo, making it the most abundant single...
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Bioremediation00:46

Bioremediation

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Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation
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Global Mercury Assimilation by Vegetation.

Jun Zhou1, Daniel Obrist1

  • 1Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States.

Environmental Science & Technology
|October 7, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vegetation assimilates a significant amount of mercury (Hg) globally, transferring it to soils. This study reveals higher Hg uptake by plants than previously estimated, impacting environmental mercury cycles.

Keywords:
biomeelemental Hg depositiongeogenic Hg assimilationoxidized Hg depositionplant tissues

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Ecotoxicology

Background:

  • Mercury (Hg) assimilation by vegetation is a major global Hg mass flux.
  • Understanding this flux is crucial for environmental Hg cycling models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate global mercury assimilation by vegetation using a bottom-up approach.
  • To compare these estimates with existing models and litterfall data.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a comprehensive database of plant tissue Hg concentrations.
  • Multiplied tissue Hg concentrations by annual net primary production (NPP) for global scaling.
  • Accounted for both aboveground and root uptake, including lichens, mosses, and woody tissues across all biomes.

Main Results:

  • Global vegetation assimilates 3062 ± 607 Mg yr⁻¹ of Hg.
  • Aboveground uptake accounts for 2491 ± 551 Mg yr⁻¹, while root uptake is 571 ± 253 Mg yr⁻¹.
  • Estimated atmospheric Hg assimilation is 54-137% higher than previous models, incorporating diverse plant types and biomes.

Conclusions:

  • Vegetation plays a larger role in global mercury cycling than previously recognized.
  • Significant mercury transfer from plants to soils occurs via biomass production.
  • The ecological and biogeochemical consequences of root mercury uptake from soils require further investigation.