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Nitrifying bacteria are chemoautotrophic
Chemotroph

Chemotrophs are organisms that obtain energy by the oxidation of electron donating molecules in their environments. These molecules can be organic molecule or inorganic ....
 bacteria that grow at the expense of inorganic nitrogen compounds. Many species of nitrifying bacteria have complex internal membrane systems that are the location for key enzymes in nitrification: ammonia monooxygenase which oxidizes ammonia to hydroxylamine, and nitrite oxidoreductase
Nitrite oxidoreductase

'Nitrite oxidoreductase' is an enzyme involved in nitrification. It is the last step in the process of aerobic ammonia oxidation, which is carried out by two groups of nitrifying bacteria: ammonia oxidizers such as Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas and Nitrosococcus convert ammonia to nitrite, while nitrite oxidizers such as Nitrobacter...
, which oxidizes nitrite to nitrate.

ifying bacteria are widespread in soil and water, and are found in highest numbers where considerable amounts of ammonia are present (areas with extensive protein decomposition, and sewage treatment plants).






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Encyclopedia


Nitrifying bacteria are chemoautotrophic
Chemotroph

Chemotrophs are organisms that obtain energy by the oxidation of electron donating molecules in their environments. These molecules can be organic molecule or inorganic ....
 bacteria that grow at the expense of inorganic nitrogen compounds. Many species of nitrifying bacteria have complex internal membrane systems that are the location for key enzymes in nitrification: ammonia monooxygenase which oxidizes ammonia to hydroxylamine, and nitrite oxidoreductase
Nitrite oxidoreductase

'Nitrite oxidoreductase' is an enzyme involved in nitrification. It is the last step in the process of aerobic ammonia oxidation, which is carried out by two groups of nitrifying bacteria: ammonia oxidizers such as Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas and Nitrosococcus convert ammonia to nitrite, while nitrite oxidizers such as Nitrobacter...
, which oxidizes nitrite to nitrate.

Ecology

Nitrifying bacteria are widespread in soil and water, and are found in highest numbers where considerable amounts of ammonia are present (areas with extensive protein decomposition, and sewage treatment plants). Nitrifying bacteria thrive in lakes and streams with high inputs of sewage and wastewater because of the high ammonia content.

Oxidation of ammonia to nitrate

Nitrification
Nitrification

Nitrification is the biological redox of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into nitrates. Degradation of ammonia to nitrite is usually the rate limiting step of nitrification....
 in nature is the result of actions of two groups of organisms, the nitrosifyers (ammonia-oxidizing bacteria) and nitrifying bacteria (nitrite-oxidizing, nitrate producing bacteria)

Nitrosifying bacteria
1. NH3 + O2 + 2e- + 2H+ ? NH2OH + H2O
2. NH2OH + 1/2 O2 ? NO2- + H2O + H+
Nitrifying bacteria
NO2- + 1/2 O2 ? NO3-

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See also

  • Denitrification
    Denitrification

    Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process of dissimilatory nitrate reduction that may ultimately produce molecular nitrogen through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products....
  • Nitrification
    Nitrification

    Nitrification is the biological redox of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into nitrates. Degradation of ammonia to nitrite is usually the rate limiting step of nitrification....
  • Nitrogen cycle
    Nitrogen cycle

    The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the transformations of nitrogen and nitrogen-containing compounds in nature. It is a cycle which includes Gas components....
  • Nitrogen deficiency
    Nitrogen deficiency

    Nitrogen deficiency in plants can occur when woody material such as sawdust is added to the soil. Soil organisms will utilise any nitrogen in order to break this down, thus making it temporarily unavailable to growing plants....
  • Nitrogen fixation
    Nitrogen fixation

    Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen is taken from its relatively inert molecular form in the Earth's atmosphere and converted into nitrogen compounds ....