The process by which bacteria convert organic nitrogen (like dead plants and animals) into ammonia.
From ammonia plus -fication (from Latin facere 'to make'). The term was coined in the 19th century to describe a crucial step in the nitrogen cycle that scientists were just beginning to understand.
Ammonification is nature's recycling system—every time a dead leaf falls to the forest floor, bacteria are breaking it down and releasing ammonia, which eventually feeds new plants. Without this invisible process, all life would grind to a halt!
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