Final answer:
True, inorganic nitrogen must be converted to ammonia to be used by a cell. This is part of the nitrogen cycle where atmospheric nitrogen is fixed into ammonia by certain bacteria, which is then used by both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that inorganic nitrogen must be converted to ammonia to be used by a cell is True.
Both eukaryotes and prokaryotes cannot directly use gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the atmosphere to synthesize macromolecules.
For these organisms to utilize nitrogen, it must first be fixed or converted into a more chemically available form like ammonia (NH3).
This process is known as nitrogen fixation and is carried out by certain bacteria.
Ammonia can then be incorporated into proteins and other organic compounds necessary for life.
The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen is converted into various chemical forms as it circulates among the atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems.
Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include nitrogen fixation, nitrification, ammonification, and denitrification.