How Do You Spell NITRIFYING BACTERIA?

Pronunciation: [nˈa͡ɪtɹɪfˌa͡ɪɪŋ baktˈi͡əɹɪə] (IPA)

Nitrifying bacteria are essential microorganisms that help convert ammonia into nitrites and nitrates in soil and water ecosystems. The spelling of this word can be broken down using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as /ˈnaɪtrɪfaɪɪŋ bækˈtɪəriə/. The stress is on the first syllable, and the word is composed of four syllables. The first two syllables are pronounced as "nye-tri-fying," with a long "i" sound. The final two syllables are pronounced as "bak-teer-ee-uh." The spelling of this word can sometimes pose a challenge for those not familiar with the scientific jargon.

NITRIFYING BACTERIA Meaning and Definition

1. Nitrifying bacteria refers to a group of microorganisms that play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle, specifically in the process of nitrification. These bacteria are responsible for converting ammonia (NH3) into nitrite (NO2-) and subsequently converting nitrite into nitrate (NO3-). Nitrifying bacteria are classified into two main groups: ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB).

   Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are typically found in soil, water, and various other environments that contain ammonia, such as freshwater systems, wastewater treatment plants, and agricultural soils. They obtain energy from oxidizing ammonia, converting it into nitrite through the enzyme ammonia monooxygenase. This process is critical as it transforms toxic ammonia into less toxic compounds.

   Once ammonia has been converted into nitrite, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria are responsible for its further conversion into nitrate. These bacteria utilize the enzyme nitrite oxidoreductase to accomplish this task. Nitrate is essential for plant growth and is used as a source of nitrogen in the production of amino acids and proteins.

   Overall, nitrifying bacteria are vital in maintaining the balance of nitrogen in the environment and ensuring its availability to plants and other organisms. They contribute to the natural breakdown and recycling of nitrogen compounds, which is essential for the functioning of ecosystems and agricultural practices.

2. Bacteria which convert free nitrogen and that in ammonia into nitric acid.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for NITRIFYING BACTERIA

• bitrifying bacteria
• mitrifying bacteria
• jitrifying bacteria
• hitrifying bacteria
• nutrifying bacteria
• njtrifying bacteria
• nktrifying bacteria
• notrifying bacteria
• n9trifying bacteria
• n8trifying bacteria
• nirrifying bacteria
• nifrifying bacteria
• nigrifying bacteria
• niyrifying bacteria
• ni6rifying bacteria
• ni5rifying bacteria
• niteifying bacteria
• nitdifying bacteria
• nitfifying bacteria
• nittifying bacteria

Etymology of NITRIFYING BACTERIA

The word "nitrifying" comes from the noun "nitrite", which is derived from the Latin word "nitrum", meaning "native soda" or "saltpeter". The suffix "-fying" is a combining form indicating "making" or "producing". Thus, "nitrifying" means "making nitrite". The term "bacteria" is derived from the New Latin word "bacterium", which comes from the Greek word "bakterion", meaning "small stick". It was coined by the German botanist Ferdinand Cohn in 1854. So, "nitrifying bacteria" refers to microorganisms that are capable of converting ammonia into nitrite and nitrate in the nitrogen cycle.