What is the conversion of ammonia into nitrates through Nitrosomonas called?

What Is The Conversion Of Ammonia Into Nitrates Through Nitrosomonas Called

What is the conversion of ammonia into nitrates through Nitrosomonas called?

Nitrosomonas convert ammonia into nitrates by a process called nitrification. It is performed in two steps – nitrite formation and nitrate formation.

Nitrification

Nitrification is a microbial process by which reduced nitrogen compounds (primarily ammonia) are sequentially oxidized to nitrite and nitrate. The nitrification process is primarily accomplished by two groups of autotrophic nitrifying bacteria that can build organic molecules using energy obtained from inorganic sources, including ammonia or nitrite.

• In the first step of nitrification, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria oxidize ammonia to nitrite according to equation (Nitrosomonas is the most frequently identified genus associated with this step)

NH3 + O2 → NO2– + 3H+ + 2e–

• In the second step of the process, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria oxidize nitrite to nitrate according to equation (Nitrobacter is the most frequently identified genus associated with this second step)

NO2– + H2O → NO3– + 2H+ +2e–