Ammonia biological production

Dinitrogen is fixed either by natural processes or by industrial ammonia (qv) production (1,8,9). The estimates for the aimual biological contribution range around 100-200 x 10 t. Industrial fixation contributes about 50 x 10 t/yr for fertilizer uses (see Fertilizers). Other processes, eg, lightning and combustion, are estimated to fix about 30 x 10 t/yr. Thus the biological process represents the majority (ca 65%) of the total aimual fixation rate, contributing about three times as much as the commercial production of fertilizer. 

Dawson, G. A., 1977 Atmospheric ammonia from undisturbed land. J. Geophys. Res. 82,3125-3133. Day, J. A., 1963 Small dropletes from rupturing air-bubble fdms. J. Reck Atmosph. 1, 191-196. Delwiche, C. C., 1978 Biological production and utilization of N20. Pure and Appl. Geophys. 116, 414-422. 

The production of reduced products like methane and ammonia by the gut microbial flora has important environmental consequences, as such compounds contribute to the chemical and biological oxygen demand. The detection of dissolved oxygen in the gut of piglets led to tests to show whether methane and other reduced products could be oxidized in the pig gut. The production of C-labelledCOj from C-labelledmethane has been demonstrated however, it is calculated that at most only a very small proportion of methane produced is likely to be oxidized using O 2 as electron acceptor. Methane may also be oxidized anaerobically, but only an extremely small amount of methane is likely to... 

Potassium Hydroxide (caustic potash) will work on certain chemicals and biological agents. Remarks under sodium hydroxide apply across the board to potassium hydroxide. Ammonia or Ammonium Hydroxide (household ammonia) can be used to decontaminate G nerve agents but takes longer than sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. SCBA or a special purpose mask is required when working with this product. Ammonium hydroxide needs no further mixing it is a water solution of ammonia. 

Many bacteria perform services we find useful and even necessary, although we rarely take note of them. Some bacteria participate in the decomposition of dead plants and animals and so help recycle chemicals that are otherwise locked away from the living world. Some are sources of antibiotics that have revolutionized the treatment of infectious disease in the past fifty years. Others are responsible for nitrogen fixation, converting relatively inert atmospheric nitrogen into biologically useful ammonia—a conversion that is not simple in the chemical laboratory. Still other bacteria are indispensable in the world s kitchens, for without them there would be no cheese or yogurt, nor any of hundreds of other traditional milk products. We could not enjoy pickles or sauerkraut, and... 

Amines other than a-amino acids will also give a colour reaction with ninhydrin but without the production of carbon dioxide. Thus /3-, y-, 8- and e-amino acids and peptides react more slowly than a-amino acids, to give the blue complex, while imino acids result in the formation of a yellow-coloured product which can be measured at 440 nm. Removal of substances such as protein, ammonia and urea from biological samples may be necessary in quantitative work because they also react in a similar manner. 

The other hypothesis suggested earlier was that ammonia rather than hydroxylamine was the product of biological nitrogen fixation. Winogradsky [9] had suggested this, and although the idea was perfectly logical, the evidence was indirect and minimal. 

There seem to be two problems NH3 is non-charged and mobile and easily crosses plasma membranes. When charged, however, in the form of NH41+, it penetrates cells with difficulty and tends to accumulate in biological systems. As a proton remover, therefore, ammonia secretion is a poor mechanism. It may temporarily trap the protons, and therefore facilitates the reaction as shown in Eq. (7), but the products tend to remain at the site of cacification. 

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