Nitrogen Cycle

Lynae Dillehay

Mrs. Boresen

Expostiory Writing 6

Nitrogen Cycle

2/2/09


Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is also a very gaseous cycle. And just as the carbon cycle there are many attributes to it as well. A few of them are; atmospheric nitrogen gas, fixation of nitrogen gas, nitrogen gas becomes nitrates, and the denitrification of the nitrate to nitrous oxide. These are the attributes.

The atmospheric nitrogen gas is clearly unavailable to plants. This is so because it is atmospheric so it deals with the atmosphere not the plant life. The plants then depend on various types of bacteria to take up nitrogen gas and make it available to them. This is the nitrogen gases function.

Then the nitrogen gas becomes fixed. This means that nitrogen fixation occurs when the nitrogen gas is reduced and nitrogen is added to organic compounds. The atmospheric nitrogen is converted to ammonium by some cyanobacteria in the aquatic ecosystems and by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the nodules on roots of legume plants in terrestrial ecosystems. The plants take up both NH4 and nitrate from the soil which is then enzymatically reduced to NH4 then used to produce amino acids and nucleic acids.

Another attribute is that the nitrogen gas becomes nitrates. This is the nitrification of the production of nitrates. The nitrogen gas is converted to nitrate by the cosmic radiation, meteor trails, and lighting in atmosphere. Some others are human manufacture of nitrates for use of fertilizers. In the soil the bacteria convert ammonium to nitrate in a two-step process. The first step is the nitrite-producing bacteria convert ammonia to nitrate. Then the nitrate-producing bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate. These two bacteria’s are called nitrifying bacteria. All of these factors do not depend on nitrogen gas.

Then there is the denitrification of the nitrates. This is the conversion of nitrate to nitrous oxide and nitrogen gas back to the atmosphere. To accomplish this task you denitrify the bacteria in both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Almost, notice the almost, counterbalances nitrogen fixation occurs.

So a brief description of an example is that of a, lets say rabbit. The rabbit starts the little flow chart. Then the rabbit decomposes setting off a gas to the decomposing bacteria to the ammonia. Then the ammonia travels to the nitrifying bacteria in the soil which then travels to the nitrate. This goes to the plants, which also travels from the exhaust of a tractor. This all winds in a little chart which repeats it’s self for forever.

As you can see the nitrogen cycle plays a big role in our survival as well. Every little thing has its own purpose in the cycle, doing it’s own role in survival. Although the nitrogen cycle does not bring on global warming…if it were terminated it would kill us all.

Bibliography

Lynae Dillehay
Mrs. Boresen
Expositor Writing 6
Bibliography
2/2/09

Bibliography

Cash, Adam. Psychology for Dummies.
Effective ways to cope with stress 1. Accept responsibilities: take charge of your own part in things 2. Analyze the situation logically: try looking at a situation more logically 3. Gather Information: the more you know, the better you're able to cope 4. Reappraise or reframe the situation: look at a situation from a different perspective and try to see the positive side in things 5. Seek guidance: ask for help 6. Use problem causing skills: come up with alternatives, select an alternative and reevaluate the out comes (cheat sheet p.1).

Littauer, Florence. Personality Plus.
The stability to stay straight on course. The ability to listen while others have their say. The determination to keep your head, while all around are losing theirs (p. 60).

Lyness, D'Arcy. "Stress." Stress: 1-1. Teen Health. July 2007. Nemours Foundation. 2 Feb. 2009 .
Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations - everything from outright physical danger to making a class presentation or taking a semester's worth of your toughest subject. The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment. This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly. Good Stress and Bad Stress The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure's on but there's no actual danger - like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed. But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too. Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other problems.

Winter Narrative

Everybody has a movie clip mind set for Christmas dinner. You have your perfect family, always smiling and happy. Grandma cooks the meal and it is always scrumptious and delightful. Everybody sits around the dinner table talking amongst each other, talking about the joyous moments to come in the future. Unfortunately Christmas for me was a total bust.
First off, I would like to inform you of the drama that my family currently has. My father, who is a strong minded man, does not like my mother’s side of the family. This causes a large dilemma with the family. The always smiling and happy part of the movie, yeah we don’t really have that. Instead we have my sarcastic grandpa butting heads with my dad, who by the way is “always” right. This makes Christmas a blast!
A perfect family. I am assuming that this includes people who put on a smile and never wear a frown. My family is the total opposite. My grandfather seems to think he is a lesser figure of god. It’s his way or the highway. My grandma, she is the nicest lady, but if she doesn’t please you her world falls to pieces. My aunts are spoiled brats and always get their way. Then there is my dad, mom and sister. They believe in working hard to get what you want, a pretty different concept then my mom’s side of the family.
If there is one word to describe my grandma’s cooking, that word would be, dry. All grandmothers’ have the cooking gene, right? No! This fact is quite wrong because my grandma cooks, but the food isn’t magical. This Christmas she cooked the turkey and was quite successful. In past years however, the turkey was really dry and disgusting. How do you go wrong with turkey?
My Christmas dinner was spent at the “kids table” with my two little cousins, my sister, my mom and dad, and I. Christmas is supposed to be about spending time together and bonding. This Christmas I ate dinner in a completely different room with five other people, when there were ten other people in the other room. This Christmas was truly not the greatest.
So, this Christmas I spent time with people who really don’t get along. Even though it was not that great, I still wouldn’t have had Christmas any other way. Family is family and you can’t turn your back on that. Maybe next Christmas will be a whole lot better.