- (B) Nitrification is a microbial process by which reduced nitrogen
compounds (primarily ammonia) are sequentially oxidized to nitrite and
nitrate. The nitrification process is primarily accomplished by two groups of
autotrophic nitrifying bacteria. In the first step of nitrification, ammonia-
oxidizing bacteria (Nitrosomonas) oxidize ammonia to nitrite NH 3 + O 2 →
NO 2 – + 3H+ + 2e–. In the second step of the process, nitrite-oxidizing
bacteria (Nitrobacter) oxidize nitrite to nitrate NO 2 – + H 2 O → NO 3 – + 2H+- 2e–.
marvins-underground-k-12
(Marvins-Underground-K-12)
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