Describe how microorganisms contribute to the recycling of the element nitrogen?

Question

This is about the nitrogen cycle

Answer 1

Here's a great link and I've included an excerpt below:

http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/microbes/nitrogen.htm

Microorganisms have a central role in almost all aspects of nitrogen availability and thus for life support on earth:

some bacteria can convert N2 into ammonia by the process termed nitrogen fixation; these bacteria are either free-living or form symbiotic associations with plants or other organisms (e.g. termites, protozoa)

other bacteria bring about transformations of ammonia to nitrate, and of nitrate to N2 or other nitrogen gases

many bacteria and fungi degrade organic matter, releasing fixed nitrogen for reuse by other organisms.

All these processes contribute to the nitrogen cycle.