What is Nitrogenase?
Nitrogenase is the bacterial enzyme that allows atmospheric nitrogen to be converted to ammonium. Enzymes are special kinds of proteins that allow reactions to occur at faster speeds than normal or under less extreme conditions. Without nitrogenase, atmospheric nitrogen can only be converted to ammonium with high pressure and temperatures. Nitrogenase requires a low oxygen environment to function.
As an enzyme that is employed by some organisms to fix the presence of nitrogen in the atmosphere, nitrogenase helps to maintain the balance of compounds within the air that we breathe, preventing an overabundance of nitrogen (N2) and making the planet uninhabitable for human beings. Here is some background on how nitrogenase works, and what can happen when the process is employed. Nitrogenase is essential in the process of breaking down what is known as the triple bond that occurs with nitrogen atoms. Essentially, each atom of nitrogen contains a series of three orbitals that are part of the atom shell. As two atoms of nitrogen bond with one another, the orbitals also bond. Thus, splitting the two bonded nitrogen atoms also means separating the orbitals. Nitrogenase accomplishes this by obtaining donors of electrons from each of the three orbitals. While each orbital is broken down individually, the process is not complete until all three have been separated. While the complete proces
