What is the symbolic relationship found between plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria?
Nitrogen is vital to plants (as well as all other life) as it is a key component of chlorophyll, proteins, and DNA. Without nitrogen fixing bacteria, most plants would quickly deplete the limited stores of nitrogen found in the soil in their immediate area. Nitrogen fixing bacteria are able to synthesize ammonia from free nitrogen in the air, and plants can utilize this ammonia in all of their biological processes.