Question

Compare and contrast the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle

Answer 1

Phosphorus is important in living organisms as it helps in building the nucleotides and also the ATPs whereas nitrogen is an important component for the formation of amino acids and nucleotides .Inorganic Phosphorus is mainly found in soil and water which is assimilated through plants and algaes into their cells and converted to organic phosphorous and then transferred to other animals when they consumes these plants or algaes. In the other hand the our atmosphere is mainly composed of nitrogen (about 78%) but this can not be used directly by the living organisms so it has to be fixed and converted to ammonia by some free living and symbiotic bacteria and then it cycles through different living organisms converting itself to different chemical forms.After the completion of both the cycles both nitrogen and phosphorus are taken back to the atmosphere by denitrifying and decomposer bacterias. But the Phosphorus cycle mainly differs from the nitrogen as it does not undergo any gaseous phases like nitrogen cycle. Here the major steps of phosphorous and nitrogen cycle are shown in the diagrams.

Phosphorus Cycle Rocks & * Soil Run-Off Lakes & Streams Decomposition Consumption Inorganic Phosphate ATP Animals Plants Metabolism Absorption

Nitrogen Cycle NO, Assimilatory nitrate reduction can be Nitrification carried out (Nitrobacter by either Nitrococcus autotrophs or heterotrophs Many general Denitrification Pseudomonas denitrificans Anamox process N, NO Nfocation (Azotobacter, Clostridium, photosynthetic bacteria) Organic N (Many general Geobacter metallireducens Desulfovibrio Clostridium Dissimilation and Mineralization Nitrification (Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus NH,