The two-step bacterial process that oxidizes ammonia to nitrite and then nitrite to nitrate, making nitrogen available to plants. This process is crucial for the nitrogen cycle and soil fertility.
From 'nitr-' relating to nitrogen compounds and the suffix '-ification' meaning the process of making or causing. The term was established in the late 19th century when scientists discovered how soil bacteria convert ammonia into plant-available nitrates.
Nitrification is like a bacterial relay race where one group of bacteria passes ammonia to another group as nitrite, and the second group passes it on as nitrate! These bacteria literally eat ammonia and nitrite for energy, and their 'waste' products happen to be the perfect fertilizer for plants.
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