Chapter 3: Problem 8

Number the following steps in the nitrogen cycle in order from 1 to 5. Step 1 is done for you. Write the numbers in the spaces provided. 1 Bacteria in the soil remove nitrogen from decaying plants and animals. _ Herbivore animals feed on plants and get essential nitrogen. _ Plants absorb nitrates from the soil. _ Plants and animals die and their remains decay. _____ Bacteria produce nitrogen compounds called nitrates.

Short Answer

Expert verified

1, 3, 2, 5, 4

Step by step solution

- Understand the Initial Step

The first step is provided: Bacteria in the soil remove nitrogen from decaying plants and animals.

- Determine the Next Step

After bacteria remove nitrogen from decaying plants and animals, these bacteria produce nitrogen compounds called nitrates. Therefore, this is the second step.

- Identify the Role of Plants

Once nitrates are produced, plants absorb these nitrates from the soil, making this the third step.

- Consider the Herbivores

Herbivore animals feed on plants and get essential nitrogen, which occurs after plants have absorbed nitrates. Hence, this is the fourth step.

- Decay of Plants and Animals

Finally, plants and animals die, and their remains decay, returning the nitrogen to the soil, completing the cycle. This is the fifth step.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

bacterial nitrogen fixation

Bacterial nitrogen fixation is a crucial process in the nitrogen cycle. Specific bacteria in the soil play a key role in converting nitrogen from the atmosphere into nitrogen compounds that can be used by plants. These bacteria, such as Rhizobium, live in symbiosis with leguminous plants and form nodules on the roots where nitrogen fixation occurs. This symbiotic relationship helps ensure that plants have access to the nitrogen they need for growth and development. Without these bacteria, atmospheric nitrogen would remain inaccessible to most plants.

nitrate absorption by plants

Plants absorb nitrates from the soil through their root systems. Nitrates are one form of nitrogen that plants can readily use for their growth. This process is essential because nitrogen is a critical component of chlorophyll, amino acids, and nucleic acids.
When bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen from decaying matter or atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates, these nitrates are then taken up by plant roots and used in various physiological processes. This absorption allows plants to manufacture proteins and other important compounds needed for their survival and growth.

herbivore nitrogen intake

Herbivores play an important role in the nitrogen cycle by consuming plants. When herbivores eat plants, they take in the nitrogen that the plants have absorbed from the soil. This nitrogen is then used by the herbivores to build proteins and other nitrogen-containing compounds necessary for their growth and functions.
As herbivores digest plant material, not all the nitrogen is utilized. Some of it is excreted, returning nitrogen back into the soil to continue the cycle. This process ensures that nitrogen is passed up the food chain and remains available in the ecosystem.

plant and animal decay

When plants and animals die, their remains decompose. Decomposition is facilitated by decomposer organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, which break down dead matter.
During decomposition, the nitrogen within the remains is converted back into simple compounds. For example, during the breakdown of proteins, nitrogen is released as ammonium, which can further be converted into nitrates by other bacteria present in the soil. This ongoing recycling of nitrogen is crucial for maintaining soil fertility and the availability of nitrogen for new plant growth.
Without this decay process, the nitrogen within dead organisms would be locked up and unavailable to the ecosystem.

soil nutrient cycles

Soil nutrient cycles, including the nitrogen cycle, are essential for sustaining plant and animal life. These cycles ensure that nutrients are continuously recycled within the ecosystem.
Nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are taken up by plants from the soil. When plants and animals die, decomposer organisms break down their remains, releasing the nutrients back into the soil.

Nitrogen cycle: Nitrogen is converted from atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates usable by plants and back to the atmosphere through various microbial processes.
Phosphorus cycle: Phosphorus is released from rocks and absorbed by plants, then returned to the soil through decomposition.
Potassium cycle: Potassium, necessary for enzyme activation, is cycled similarly through plant uptake and decomposition.

These cycles are interdependent, ensuring that the ecosystem remains balanced and productive.

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Short Answer

Step by step solution

- Understand the Initial Step

- Determine the Next Step

- Identify the Role of Plants

- Consider the Herbivores

- Decay of Plants and Animals

Key Concepts

bacterial nitrogen fixation

nitrate absorption by plants

herbivore nitrogen intake

plant and animal decay

soil nutrient cycles

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