The Nitrogen Cycle

4. - the part of the cycle where ammonia is turned into nitrites and nitrates by bacteria in the soil.
8. - a type of bacteria that turns ammonia into nitrites
9. - a type of bacteria that turns nitrites into nitrates
11. - nitrogen fixing bacteria that have a symbiotic relationship with legumes
12. - when the fertilizer runoff from farmland causes algae and phytoplankton to multiply. These are also known as “algae blooms”, and creates a positive feedback loop in which the body of water continues to be a dead zone.

1. - the part of the cycle where usable nitrogen is removed from the soil by microorganisms in the soil. This is necessary to balance the amount of nitrogen in the ecosystem.
2. - the part of the cycle where bacteria turn nitrates back into nitrogen gas for it to return to the atmosphere.
3. - a form of nitrogen which plants can consume. It is made when ammonia is mixed with water
5. Bonded - the type of bond that nitrogen atoms have in gaseous form.
6. Fixation - the part of the cycle where the nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is broken down by certain bacteria in the soil to be usable for plants.
7. - nitrogen fixing bacteria that lives “on its own” in the soil
10. - the part of the cycle where the nitrogen in plants and animals is broken down by decomposers to make ammonia.