The nitrogen cycle is a series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition.
Imagine if money was only usable once before it had to be returned to a bank, transformed, then re-distributed again. That's kind of like how nitrogen works! It gets 'used' by plants or animals, then has to go through transformations (like decomposition or fixation) before it can be used again.
Decomposition: The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic matter.
Nitrogen Fixation: The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia by natural phenomena or industrial processes.
Ammonia: A compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3.
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