Final answer:
The nitrogen cycle involves four main steps: nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, and denitrification.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nitrogen cycle involves four main steps: nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, and denitrification. As a molecule of nitrogen, you would start in the atmosphere. In the first step, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen gas is converted into a form that plants can use, such as ammonium ions or nitrate ions. This process can be done by nitrogen-fixing bacteria or through industrial processes. Nitrification is the next step, where ammonium ions are converted into nitrite ions and then into nitrate ions by nitrifying bacteria. Plants can take up these nitrate ions and incorporate them into their tissues through assimilation. Finally, denitrification occurs when certain bacteria convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas, completing the cycle.