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Nitrification

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Nitrification is an oxidative biological process that converts ammonia into nitrate. The whole process is composed of two different steps which are performed by different microorganisms: ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. The first step is performed by organisms of two domains: Bacteria (genera Nitrosomonas and Nitrosococcus) and Archaea (Crenarchaeota phylum). The second step is driven by Bacteria (gen. Nitrobacter). Nitrification is an important part of the nitrogen cycle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC/INTA), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Ctra de Torrejón a Ajalvir, km 4, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    Felipe Gomez

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  1. Felipe Gomez
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Correspondence to Felipe Gomez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Gomez, F. (2014). Nitrification. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1059-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1059-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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