AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Many heterotrophic bacteria live in the soil and fix significant levels of nitrogen without the direct interaction with other organisms. Examples of this type of nitrogen-fixing bacteria include species of Azotobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium, and Klebsiella.

Detailed explanation-2: -Nitrogen is a component of proteins and nucleic acids and is essential to life on Earth. Although nitrogen is abundant in the atmosphere, most organisms cannot use it in that form. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria accomplish more than 90 percent of all nitrogen fixation and thus play an important role in the nitrogen cycle.

Detailed explanation-3: -Nitrogen fixation in the biological systems is performed by the nitrogenase enzyme, which catalyzes the reduction of atmospheric nitrogen gas to ammonia (Fig.