Nitrogen and Phosphorus Assimilation in Plants

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the nitrogen and phosphorus assimilation processes in plants, as well as related biochemical pathways.

Nitrogen Cycle

The process by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into forms that plants can absorb and use, including nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and assimilation.

Nitrogen fixation

The conversion of nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3-) by various processes including biological fixation, lightning, and the Haber-Bosch process.

Nitrate Assimilation

The process by which nitrate (NO3-) is taken up by roots, reduced to nitrite (NO2-), and further converted to ammonium (NH4+) for incorporation into organic molecules.

GS-GOGAT pathway

A metabolic pathway in plants where glutamine synthetase (GS) converts NH4+ and glutamate into glutamine, which is then used to form glutamate via GOGAT.

Shikimatic Acid Pathway

A biosynthetic pathway that produces aromatic amino acids from carbohydrate precursors, involving the condensation of phosphoenolpyruvate and erythrose 4-phosphate.

Biological Nitrogen Fixation

The process by which certain bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), often occurring in symbiotic relationships with legumes.

Leghemoglobin

An oxygen-carrying protein found in legume nodules that helps maintain a low oxygen concentration essential for the nitrogenase enzyme function.

Phosphorus Assimilation

The process by which plants absorb phosphorus from the soil, primarily in the form of phosphate (PO4^3-), and utilize it for critical biological functions like ATP synthesis.

Endomycorrhizae

Symbiotic associations between fungi and plant roots, aiding in the uptake of phosphorus and other nutrients from soil.

Amino Acid Biosynthesis

The synthesis of amino acids in plants utilizing intermediates from glycolysis, the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA cycle.