Nitrification vs. Denitrification

Nitrificationnoun

The process of nitrifying.

Denitrificationnoun

The process by which a nitrate becomes molecular nitrogen, especially by the action of bacteria.

Nitrificationnoun

The act, process, or result of combining with nitrogen or some of its compounds.

Denitrificationnoun

The act or process of freeing from nitrogen; also, the condition resulting from the removal of nitrogen.

Nitrificationnoun

A process of oxidation, in which nitrogenous vegetable and animal matter in the presence of air, moisture, and some basic substances, as lime or alkali carbonate, is converted into nitrates.

Denitrification

Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process where nitrate (NO3−) is reduced and ultimately produces molecular nitrogen (N2) through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products. Facultative anaerobic bacteria perform denitrification as a type of respiration that reduces oxidized forms of nitrogen in response to the oxidation of an electron donor such as organic matter.

Nitrificationnoun

the chemical process in which a nitro group is added to an organic compound (or substituted for another group in an organic compound)

Nitrificationnoun

the oxidation of ammonium compounds in dead organic material into nitrates and nitrites by soil bacteria (making nitrogen available to plants)

Nitrification

Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia to nitrite followed by the oxidation of the nitrite to nitrate occurring through separate organisms or direct ammonia oxidation to nitrate in comammox bacteria. The transformation of ammonia to nitrite is usually the rate limiting step of nitrification.