NEET2010BotanyMineral NutritionActual
Leguminous plants are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen through the process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Which one of the following statement is not correct during the process of nitrogen fixation?
Options
- ALeghaemoglobin scavenges oxygen and is pinkish in colour
- BNodules act as a site for nitrogen fixation
- CThe enzyme nitrogenase catalyses the conversion of atmospheric N ₂ to NH ₃
- DNitrogenase is insensitive to oxygen
Correct answer
D. Nitrogenase is insensitive to oxygen
Step-by-step solution
Root nodules of leguminous plants harbour symbiotic bacteria, Rhizobium, which fixes atmospheric nitrogen and provides the plant with most or all of its nitrogen requirements. In return, they have access to a rich supply of carbohydrate. The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen ( N ₂ ) to ammonia ( NH ₃ ) occurs within the nodules, using the enzyme nitrogenase but this enzyme is very sensitive to oxygen and gets inhibited in oxygen rich environment. This problem is solved by leghaemoglobin, a pinkish-red, oxygen-bindin