Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

Have no fear! Captain Nitro is here!

He wants to tell you about the magnificent NITROGEN CYCLE. 

It is the process of converting nitrogen into compounds that can be used by plants and animals.

I was minding my own business in the atmosphere when suddenly I crashed into bacteria!

Hello, I’m bacteria. I turned captain nitro into ammonium. 

N2

Then, I was eaten by a plant! I did not like being green.

Gulp! Yum!

Once the plant absorbed all of the nutrients out of me, decomposer bacteria converted the nitrogen into ammonia.

NH3

Next thing I know, I’m converted from ammonia (NH3) into nitrites  and nitrates. 

NO2

NO3

NO2

NO3

N2

Finally, through denitrification I was converted back into atmospheric nitrogen!