Name: Mineral Absorption
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 5 min 50 s
Description: Minerals cannot be taken up by the plants directly from the atmosphere. Watch to know how these are absorbed and finally reach the Xylem to be transported fu...

Question

Give the diagrammatic representation to explain the steps of conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia by the nitrogenase enzyme complex.

Accepted Answer

Nitrogenase is an enzyme that is produced by certain nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This enzyme consists of two proteins- a homodimeric Fe protein and a heterodimeric Mo-Fe protein. The Fe protein component reacts with ATP and reduces Mo-Fe protein which then reduces nitrogen to ammonia.

$N_{2} + 8 e^{-} + 8 H^{+} + 16 A T P \overset{M o - F e n i t r o g e n a s e}{\to} 2 N H_{3} + H_{2} + 16 A D P + 16 P_{i}$

Steps involved in the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen in ammonia are:

One molecule of nitrogen binds at the active site of the enzyme.

Three times the reduction reactions occur. At every reduction step, two hydrogen atoms get added to the $N_{2}$ .

Two molecules of ammonia are formed from one molecule of nitrogen.

At last, two ammonia molecules are released from the active site of the enzyme.

Diagrammatic representation of the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia.

Give the diagrammatic representation to explain the steps of conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia by the nitrogenase enzyme complex.

Important Questions on Mineral Nutrition

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