Ammonification

Ammonification is part of the cycle of the nitrogen The five-step process, which is crucial for providing living organisms with the essential nitrogen they need. The ammonification itself takes place thanks to the existence of decomposers which break down animal and plant cells into simpler substances; making nutrients available in the environment. ecosystem . The ammonification process converts organic nitrogen, which is the form in which nitrogen is contained in the compounds of living organisms, into inorganic ammonia (NH₃) or ammonium ions (NH₄⁺).

Examples of nitrogen-containing compounds in us and in other living organisms are proteins, nucleic acids such as our DNAvitamins such as B vitamins and urea. The decomposers in this case are different bacteria and fungi which feed on these compounds, releasing ammonia, which in turn forms ammonium compounds in the soil to be absorbed by plants. You can familiarise yourself with the nitrogen cycle by looking at the diagram below. Note how decomposers are shown feeding on plant and animal matter to produce ammonium.

Ammonification function

Although the atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen, living organisms cannot use the form of nitrogen contained in the atmosphere, which is N ₂ and that is what makes the nitrogen cycle essential for life. When it comes to ammonification specifically, the body of a dead animal or plant and its waste includes organic nitrogen. This nitrogen has to return to the ecosystem in forms that can be used by living organisms; this is where ammonification comes in to return nitrogen to the soil or water in a way that allows plants to absorb it and pass it along the food chain.

Can there be too much nitrogen?

Although nitrogen is used to produce many compounds in living organisms, there comes a point where the environment can contain too much. Nowadays, people add fertilisers to the soil to increase the amount of nitrogen present for ammonification; but this and other agricultural practices can lead to problems such as overgrowth of algae and other organisms in nearby water bodies because of the leaching of nutrients, leading to toxicity and imbalances in ecosystems.

• Nitrogen fixation: part of the nitrogen cycle; it is where atmospheric nitrogen (N ₂ ) is converted into nitrogen compounds for animal and plant use.
• Denitrification part of the nitrogen cycle; the reduction of nitrates in the soil to molecular nitrogen, which is then released into the atmosphere.
• Eutrophication pollution of a lake by sewage or fertilisers, which stimulates algal growth and leads to results that include depletion of oxygen in the lake.