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CH3041
THE ‘N’
MICROORGANISMS I
• Nitrogenase is a 2
protein enzyme that
catalyses the reduction of N2.
One of the proteins has 2 Mo atoms which coordinates to the N2 molecule and helps to break the
catalyses the reduction of N2.
One of the proteins has 2 Mo atoms which coordinates to the N2 molecule and helps to break the
Microorganisms use ‘N’
for several reasons.
• Nitrogen
fixation: In the case of the
Rhizobium bacteria it is a symbiotic relation-
ship : the bacteria gets E from the plant
(legume nodules ® photosynthetically
produced sugars), the plant gets NH4+
3{‘CH2O’}+ 3H2O + 2N2 + 4H+ ® 3CO2+ 4NH4+
Rhizobium bacteria it is a symbiotic relation-
ship : the bacteria gets E from the plant
(legume nodules ® photosynthetically
produced sugars), the plant gets NH4+
3{‘CH2O’}+ 3H2O + 2N2 + 4H+ ® 3CO2+ 4NH4+
