What is nitrogen?
Nitrogen is a chemical element . Its symbol is N, and it stands at number seven on the periodic table of elements. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is mostly inert or inactive. It’s a unique gas because it doesn’t easily react with other elements.
Nitrogen's role in nature
Nitrogen plays a vital role in nature. It’s a key ingredient in the building blocks of life, including proteins, DNA , and RNA , which are found in all living organisms. It’s also an essential part of the amino acids that make up proteins and the nucleic acids that make up our genetic material.
Nitrogen in the air
Composition of earth's atmosphere
Our atmosphere is a mix of several gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide, plus a few others in smaller amounts. These gases surround Earth, stretching out for many miles above the planet’s surface.
Percentage of nitrogen in the atmosphere
The largest share of the air around us, about 78 percent, is nitrogen. This means that nearly four out of every five breaths we take are mostly nitrogen! The second most common gas is oxygen, which makes up about 21 percent of the air.
Importance of nitrogen in the air
1. Supporting life
Nitrogen in the air is critical for life on Earth. It helps plants grow, aids in the creation of proteins in both plants and animals, and is a part of our DNA. The air’s nitrogen doesn’t go directly into plants and animals, though. It has to go through a process called the nitrogen cycle first.
2. Climate regulation
Nitrogen also helps regulate Earth’s climate. It does this in a couple of ways. First, because nitrogen is inert, it helps to stabilize the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Secondly, certain forms of nitrogen in the atmosphere can also help to absorb heat from the Sun, contributing to the greenhouse effect .
The nitrogen cycle
Steps in the nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is a set of steps that transforms inert nitrogen from the air into a form that plants and animals can use. The steps include nitrogen fixation , where bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen into oxides of nitrogen and ammonia that the plants can absorb, and decomposition , where dead plants and animals break down, releasing nitrogen back into the soil.
The role of living beings in the nitrogen cycle
Living beings play a big part in the nitrogen cycle. Bacteria in the soil do the work of nitrogen fixation. Plants take up the fixed nitrogen, use it to grow, and pass it on to animals that eat the plants. When plants and animals die, decomposers like fungi and other bacteria break them down, returning the nitrogen to the soil.
Fun facts about nitrogen
1. Nitrogen gas makes up the largest part of Earth’s atmosphere
2. It’s also the lightest component of the air we breathe.
3. Nitrogen is the fifth most abundant element in the universe!
How nitrogen affects our daily lives
We encounter nitrogen every day without even realizing it. In hospitals, nitrogen is used to freeze and store cells. In the world of food, nitrogen keeps packaged foods fresh by replacing the air in the package with nitrogen gas.
Understanding the amount of nitrogen in the air helps us grasp the balance of our planet’s atmosphere, and the crucial role this element plays in sustaining life and maintaining our world’s climate.
Glossary
Chemical Element: A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. Each element is defined by the number of protons in its nucleus.
Inert: A term used in chemistry to describe a substance that does not react easily with other substances.
Atmosphere: The layer of gases surrounding a planet. Earth’s atmosphere is composed of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and other gases.
Greenhouse Effect: The warming of Earth’s surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane.
Nitrogen Fixation: The process by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into a form that plants can use.
Decomposition: The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic matter. In the context of the nitrogen cycle, it refers to the breaking down of dead organisms, releasing nitrogen back into the soil.
Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist independently, symbiotically (in cooperation with another organism) or parasitically (dependent upon another organism, sometimes to the detriment of the other organism). They play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): The molecule that carries genetic information in all living organisms.
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid): A molecule similar to DNA that plays a vital role in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
Proteins: Large molecules composed of amino acids. They perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another.
Amino Acids: Organic compounds that combine to form proteins. They are essential to life and are found in all living organisms.
Nucleic Acids: Organic substances in living cells, especially DNA or RNA, whose molecules consist of many nucleotides linked in a long chain. They carry genetic information essential for the functioning of living organisms bacteria.
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