Fixer Upper
This type of nitrogen fixation occurs naturally through lightning.
What is abiotic nitrogen fixation?
This evolutionary relationship between bacteria and algae, where one becomes integrated into the other, is the reason for other organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.
What is endosymbiosis?
Nitrogen is crucial for the formation of these two biological molecules that are necessary for building proteins, DNA, and RNA
What are amino acids and nucleotides?
Nitrogen fixation helps support this global industry that feeds billions of people.
What is agriculture?
She believes growing vegetables without synthetic fertilizers is not only healthier, but also better for the planet.
Who is Chloe?
This enzyme, found in nitrogen-fixing organisms, allows for the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia.
What is nitrogenase?
The nitroplast is thought to have evolved from this group of nitrogen fixing bacteria that became roommates with algae.
What are cyanobacteria?
This cyanobacterium, which is important in nitrogen fixation, is thought to have formed a symbiotic relationship with an alga, creating an organelle known as the nitroplast.
What is UCYN-A?
Engineering crops to fix nitrogen could reduce dependence on this expensive and environmentally harmful input.
What are synthetic fertilizers?
This person loves gardening so much, she went to five garden centres in one weekend, including three Canadian Tires.
Before nitroplasts were discovered, only this type of organism was thought to be able to fix nitrogen.
What are prokaryotes/bacteria/archaea?
The symbiotic relationship where two organisms “room together” for evolutionary purposes.
What is mutualism?
The inability to fix nitrogen would lead to the collapse of the nitrogen, causing this type of organism to be unable to grow, disrupting herbivores, and thus, impacting the entire food chain.
What are plants/producers?
Nitroplast technology could eventually allow crops to fix not only nitrogen, but also these two essential plant nutrients.
What are phosphorus and potassium?
Chloe believes that reducing pollution and synthetic fertilizer use supports this deeply held personal value.
What is helping the planet/reducing environmental harm?
This industrial method for nitrogen fixation supports global agriculture but contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.
What is the Haber-Bosch process?
The theory of endosymbiosis was first proposed by this biologist, who suggested that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from free-living bacteria.
Who is Lynn Margulis?
This crucial nutrient is converted through nitrogen fixation and is required by plants to grow, as it is essential for the production of chlorophyll and more.
What is ammonia?
This soil-free, water-based farming method could become more efficient if plants are bioengineered to fix their own nutrients.
What is hydroponics?
Chloe’s family prefers this type of fertilizer to avoid synthetic chemicals when growing vegetables.
What is organic fertilizer?
One environmental benefit of nitroplast bioengineering in crops would be the reduction of this harmful process that depletes oxygen in water bodies.
What is nitrogen runoff/eutrophication?
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For your courage for choosing 500... you get a free 500 😇😇
These organisms depend on fixed nitrogen indirectly, as they consume producers that require nitrogen to grow.
What are consumers?
This advantage of hydroponics due to its lack of a use for soil
With nitroplast bioengineering, this task might become less frequent for gardeners like Chloe and Ashley's mom.
What is buying chemical fertilizers at distant garden centres?