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nitrification

nitrification

1 8.8
A chemical process that adds a nitro group to an organic molecule
  • noun
  • /ˌnaɪtrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: nitrificación
  • The process of nitrification converts ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates, helping plant growth.
  • heterotrophic nitrification
  • nitrification and denitrification
  • classic nitrification

Examples

  • Most nitrous oxide is produced by bacteria in natural and fertilized soils during the processes of nitrification and denitrification.

    Academic text (1992)
  • No increase in nitrate concentration suggests that ammonium nitrogen was hardly oxidized through nitrification.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Anammox and heterotrophic nitrification are just a start.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Other processes, such as Anammox and heterotrophic nitrification, can be important.

    Academic text (2008)
  • To date, Anammox and heterotrophic nitrification have been observed.

    Academic text (2008)
  • It is interesting to note that some columns retained classic nitrification and denitrification.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Engineering textbooks tell a simple story about nitrification and denitrification (Figure 1, Table 1).

    Academic text (2008)
  • Thus, Anammox and classic nitrification occupy neighboring ecological niches within an attached growth system.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Recently discovered bacterial processes, such as Anammox and heterotrophic nitrification, can be native to treatment wetlands.

    Academic text (2008)
  • As a result, the classic model of nitrification and denitrification, which relies on comparatively fast-growing bacteria, does not fully describe process microbiology.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

nitration
vsnitrification
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A chemical process that adds a nitro group to a molecule

also covers conversion of ammonia to nitrites and nitrates by bacteria

Surface Forms

nitrification singular

Morphology

nitrification = nitrify (opaque) = nitr + ification

The word is a technical noun built from the verb 'nitrify' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ification', but the specialized scientific meaning is not readily inferable for an average learner.

Etymology

The word nitrification comes from the parts nitri- meaning 'nitrogen' and -fication meaning 'making' or 'process', just like in nitrogen and nitrate. That is why the word is used for both the chemical making of a 'nitro' group and the soil process that turns ammonia into nitrites and nitrates.