Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seventh in total abundance in the Milky Way and the Solar System.
The authors estimated nitrogen transferral rates through the soil food web and calculated nitrogen mineralization rates for a range of soil organisms. In another landmark study, researchers from the Lovinkhoeve Experimental Farm in the Netherlands examined the flow of carbon and illustrated transfer rates with arrows of different thicknesses. [7]
Nitrogen is a fundamental nutrient in agriculture, playing a crucial role in plant growth and development. It is an essential component of proteins, enzymes, chlorophyll, and nucleic acids, all of which are essential for various metabolic processes within plants. [2]
Nonetheless, recent research has found that discrete trophic levels do exist, but "above the herbivore trophic level, food webs are better characterized as a tangled web of omnivores." [ 17 ] A central question in the trophic dynamic literature is the nature of control and regulation over resources and production.
Industrially, ammonia (NH 3) is the most important compound of nitrogen and is prepared in larger amounts than any other compound, because it contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilisers. It is a colourless alkaline gas with a characteristic pungent smell.
Food is mainly composed of water, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Minerals (e.g., salts) and organic substances (e.g., vitamins) can also be found in food. [4] Plants, algae, and some microorganisms use photosynthesis to make some of their own nutrients. [5] Water is found in many foods and has been defined as a food by itself. [6]
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
nitrogen: 7: 5: Ubiquitous, essential for all forms of life; all proteins and nucleic acids contain substantial amounts of nitrogen. [11] Toxic in some forms. [11] osmium: 76: 1a: None known. [11] Osmium is very rare, substantially more so than any element essential to life. [3] The oxide is toxic to humans. [11] oxygen: 8: 5