Question

Select the correct answer. Identify which of the following three processes are ways in which nitrogen fixation initially occurs. A. industrial, leaching, mineralization B. biological, assimilation, weathering C. lightning, industrial, biological D. ammonification, lightning, weathering

Answer 1

Answer: C

Step-by-step explanation:

Start with easy:

industrial: we human have been splitting N2 atoms for quite a while to make fertilizers

Biological: some micro organisms are known to break N2 bonds into useful materials, such as ammonia.

lightning: the intense energy in a lightning strike sometimes split N2 gas into ions and binding to oxygen in the atmosphere

Answer 2

Nitrogen fixation, the conversion of nitrogen gas to ammonia, can occur via lightning, industrial processes, and biological mechanisms involving certain microorganisms that possess nitrogenase enzymes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process by which nitrogen gas (N₂) is converted into ammonia (NH₃) is known as nitrogen fixation. The correct answer to the question regarding the ways in which nitrogen fixation initially occurs is C. lightning, industrial, and biological. Lightning provides the energy for nitrogen fixation in the atmosphere, whereas the industrial process refers to the Haber-Bosch process, which synthesizes ammonia using high pressures and temperatures. Biological nitrogen fixation is carried out by certain microorganisms in the soil and those associated with the root nodules of legumes. These organisms use the enzyme nitrogenase to fix nitrogen.