The act of breaking apart the two atoms in a nitrogen molecule is called "nitrogen
fixation". Plants get the nitrogen that they need from the soil, where it has already
been fixed by bacteria and archaea. Bacteria and archaea in the soil and in the roots
of some plants have the ability to convert molecular nitrogen from the air (N 2) to
ammonia (NH3), thereby breaking the tough triple bond of molecular nitrogen. Such
organisms are called "diazotrophs". From here, various microorganisms convert
ammonia to other nitrogen compounds that are easier for plants to use. In this way,
plants get their nitrogen indirectly from the air via microorganisms in the soil and in
certain plant roots. Note that lightning and high-energy solar radiation can also split
the nitrogen molecule, and therefore also fixes the nitrogen in the air. However, the
amount of nitrogen fixed by lightning and solar radiation is insignificant compared to
the amount fixed by diazotrophs in the soil and in roots. In his book Nitrogen Fixation,
John Postgate states,
The fixation of nitrogen the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into a form that
plants can use is a process fundamental to world agriculture. It comes about as a
consequence of spontaneous, anthropogenic and biological activities. The existence
and importance of the biological component have been recognized for more than a
century, but scientific advances over the past few decades have radically altered our
understanding of its nature and mechanisms.