Science Common Sense

1793 - What is the nitrogen cycle?

The nitrogen cycle is like a big circle that shows how nitrogen moves around our planet. Nitrogen is a gas in the air, and it's needed by plants and animals to grow.

Here's a simple way to understand it:

1. Nitrogen in the air is converted into a form that plants can use, called nitrate. This happens when lightning strikes or with the help of special tiny bugs called bacteria.
2. Plants absorb the nitrate and use it to grow.
3. Animals eat the plants and get nitrogen from them too.
4. When animals poop or die, the nitrogen goes back into the soil.
5. Special tiny bugs (bacteria) in the soil turn the nitrogen back into the air, and the cycle starts all over again.

So, the nitrogen cycle helps our planet make sure plants and animals have the nitrogen they need to survive.