Final answer:
Nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients, but their limited availability in nature makes them hard to obtain. Nitrogen fixation converts atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form, while phosphorous scarcity limits biological nitrogen fixation and symbiotic fungi assist with phosphorus uptake.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients, but they can be difficult to obtain because of their limited availability in nature.
Nitrogen is a major component of the Earth's atmosphere, making up 78% of it. However, it is in the form of diatomic nitrogen (N2), which is not nutritionally available to most plants. Nitrogen fixation, a process performed by bacteria and plants, is required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form.
Phosphorus, on the other hand, is present in low concentrations in the Earth's crust compared to its abundance in the human body. It is an essential element for living organisms, playing crucial roles in DNA, ATP, and certain lipids. Phosphorus scarcity limits biological nitrogen fixation in many terrestrial ecosystems, and specialized symbiotic fungi called mycorrhizae help plants in phosphorus uptake.