Final answer:
Nitrogen is fixed by bacteria to form ammonia, which is then used by organisms to build proteins and nucleic acids necessary for their biological functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Living organisms, especially plants, require nitrogen to make nitrates and nitrites. These are used to build proteins and nucleic acids, not sugars, starches, or glucose. Nitrogen in the atmosphere cannot be directly used by most organisms and needs to be 'fixed' into a form like ammonia through the process of nitrogen fixation, which is primarily performed by certain types of bacteria. These bacteria can either live freely in the soil or establish symbiotic relationships with the roots of leguminous plants, forming root nodules where they convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia, to be further used for amino acid and nucleotide synthesis. This process is crucial for the creation of biological macromolecules essential for life.