# Where does biologically active nitrogen come from

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-biologically-active-nitrogen-come-from/951376>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 26, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-biologically-active-nitrogen-come-from/951376 "2021-09-26T15:37:43Z")\
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**Author:** ![Acierocolotl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acierocolotl/32/6241_2.png) [@Acierocolotl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acierocolotl)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-biologically-active-nitrogen-come-from/951376/2 "2021-09-26T16:23:16Z")

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What you’re looking for are “nitrogen fixers”. A class of oceanic algae are nitrogen fixers, as well as (more recently, geologically speaking) legumes.

The process is called diazotrophy. Beyond that, my memory’s a bit rusty, biochemistry was a set of courses I didn’t pay as much attention to as I should have as an undergrad.

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