Name: Yuzhu Gong Due Date: 2015/10/03
Article Title: Global Population and the Nitrogen Cycle
Author/Source: Scientific American
Article Title: Global Population and the Nitrogen Cycle
Author/Source: Scientific American
A: List major ideas, concepts or key points - point by point
- Nitrogen is only a minor constituent of living matter
- This element is needed for DNA and RNA, the molecules that store and transfer genetic information.
- It is also required to make proteins, those indispensable messengers, receptors, catalysts and structural components of all plant and animal cells.
- The most important nitrogen- fixing bacteria are of the genus Rhizobium, symbionts that create nodules on the roots of leguminous plants, such as beans or acacia trees. Cyanobacteria also fix nitrogen.
- A hectare of farmland in places with good soil, adequate moisture and a mild climate that allows continuous cultivation throughout the year should be able to support as many as 15 people. But, it does not work in practice.
- Phosphorus enrichment required only that acid be added to phosphaterich rocks to convert them into more soluble compounds that would be taken up when the roots absorbed water.
- Around 175 million tons of nitrogen flow into the world’s croplands every year, and about half this total becomes incorporated into cultivated plants.
- One third of the protein in humanity’s diet depends on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.
- Nitrogen in soils and waters has many deleterious consequences for the environment.
- High nitrate levels can cause life-threatening methemoglobinemia (“blue baby” disease) in infants, and they have also been linked epidemiologically to some cancers.
- Leaching of highly soluble nitrates, which can seriously contaminate both ground and surface waters in places undergoing heavy fertilization, has been disturbing farming regions for some 30 years.
- The persistence of nitrogen-based compounds is also troublesome, because it contributes to the acidity of many arable soils.
- The increasing use of nitrogen fertilizers has also sent more nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.
- Reactions of nitrous oxide with excited oxygen contribute to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere.
- Humans are getting addicted about the nitrogen.
B: Summarize the author's main point or idea
Nitrogen is a life essential element because it is needed for DNA and RNA, the molecules that store and transfer genetic information. Additionally, it is required to make proteins, those indispensable messengers, receptors, catalysts and structural components of all plant and animal cells. The Rhizobium, the most important nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the planet, they convert the nitrogen into usable forms for plants and animals since itself can not be used in the environment. Nitrogen can be used as a great fertilizer for plants in all different kinds of way, although it has positive effects to the environment, the deleterious parts begin to surface as time goes. Nitrogen in the water and soil will cause severe consequences, the high nitrate levels can cause life-threatening methemoglobinemia (“blue baby” disease) in infants, and they have also been linked epidemiologically to some cancers. Filtering of highly soluble nitrates which can seriously contaminate both ground and surface waters in places for approximately 30 years, and it is not abnormal in America. Overall, the nitrogen fertilizer development gives humans a lot of advantages on plants and animals, but it is also contaminating the ecosystem.
Nitrogen is a life essential element because it is needed for DNA and RNA, the molecules that store and transfer genetic information. Additionally, it is required to make proteins, those indispensable messengers, receptors, catalysts and structural components of all plant and animal cells. The Rhizobium, the most important nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the planet, they convert the nitrogen into usable forms for plants and animals since itself can not be used in the environment. Nitrogen can be used as a great fertilizer for plants in all different kinds of way, although it has positive effects to the environment, the deleterious parts begin to surface as time goes. Nitrogen in the water and soil will cause severe consequences, the high nitrate levels can cause life-threatening methemoglobinemia (“blue baby” disease) in infants, and they have also been linked epidemiologically to some cancers. Filtering of highly soluble nitrates which can seriously contaminate both ground and surface waters in places for approximately 30 years, and it is not abnormal in America. Overall, the nitrogen fertilizer development gives humans a lot of advantages on plants and animals, but it is also contaminating the ecosystem.
C: Reaction to the article
My Own Thoughts on the Topic:
I think humans are addicted to the nitrogen that can lead towards the bad shape of environment. Reactions of nitrous oxide with excited oxygen contribute to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and also promotes excessive greenhouse warming. Nitrogen usually gets into the water by runoff or sewage system, when too much of nitrogen is in the water, then it starts having eutrophication on account of it facilitates the growth of algae which can cause algae bloom directly. But if humans do not use nitrogen, then we can not make proteins, those indispensable messengers, receptors, catalysts and structural components of all plant and animal cells. My opinion on that is we can develop another type of fertilizer that can also accelerate the growth of plants without contaminating the water that much.
My Own Thoughts on the Topic:
I think humans are addicted to the nitrogen that can lead towards the bad shape of environment. Reactions of nitrous oxide with excited oxygen contribute to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and also promotes excessive greenhouse warming. Nitrogen usually gets into the water by runoff or sewage system, when too much of nitrogen is in the water, then it starts having eutrophication on account of it facilitates the growth of algae which can cause algae bloom directly. But if humans do not use nitrogen, then we can not make proteins, those indispensable messengers, receptors, catalysts and structural components of all plant and animal cells. My opinion on that is we can develop another type of fertilizer that can also accelerate the growth of plants without contaminating the water that much.