Question

What role do decomposers play in the nitrogen cycle? a. they convert ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates in the soil. b. they convert atmospheric nitrogen into organic compounds using nitrogenase. c. they convert organic compounds containing nitrogen into ammonia through ammonification. d. they convert soil nitrates into atmospheric nitrogen gas through denitrification.

Answer 1

Decomposers play a critical role in the nitrogen cycle by breaking down organic nitrogen into ammonia through ammonification, which is then available for plant use and further processed by nitrification and denitrification.

Step-by-step explanation:

The role decomposers play in the nitrogen cycle is to convert organic compounds containing nitrogen into ammonia through a process known as ammonification. This is critical because it makes nitrogen available in a form that plants can then use. When organisms die or produce waste, decomposers like bacteria and fungi break down the organic nitrogen found within these remains into ammonium ions (NH4+). Following ammonification, some soil bacteria perform nitrification, converting ammonium ions first into nitrites (NO2-) and then into nitrates (NO3-). Other bacteria then convert these nitrates into nitrogen gas in a process called denitrification, which completes the cycle by returning nitrogen to the atmosphere.