Final answer:
The nitrogen cycle depends on decomposers, specifically bacteria, to break down waste and dead materials to release nitrogen back into the soil. Among the options provided, decomposers (B) are the correct answer for what the nitrogen cycle relies on to break down waste products.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nitrogen cycle relies heavily on decomposers to break down waste products and release nitrogen into the soil. Decomposers, such as bacteria, are crucial as they take up the role of recycling nutrients, which are essential for living organisms. Among the options provided, B) Decomposers is the correct answer.
Organisms cannot produce their own nutrients, so they must obtain them from their environment. Bacteria, a type of decomposer, are fundamental to this process, breaking down dead materials and waste into smaller molecules used for energy, carbon, and other nutrients. The nitrogen in these materials is converted into various forms, such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, eventually entering back into the ecosystem for use by producers like plants.
Specifically, prokaryotes, such as bacteria involved in nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification, play pivotal roles in the nitrogen cycle. Through these processes, nitrogen is converted from atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, then ammonia to nitrite, and nitrate to nitrogen gas or other gaseous nitrogen compounds, thus completing the cycle.