nitrification
- noun
- /ˌnaɪtrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Specialized
- The process of nitrification converts ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates, helping plant growth.
- heterotrophic nitrification
- nitrification and denitrification
- classic nitrification
Examples
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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
A chemical process that adds a nitro group to a molecule
Surface Forms
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.