Nitrogen

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-018639",
  "term": "Nitrogen",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. A type of nutrient that contributes to the Bay's poor water quality. While nitrogen is needed for plant growth, human activities--like driving cars or applying fertilizers--contribute more nitrogen than the Bay's waters can handle. Elevated nitrogen levels cause more algae to grow, blocking out sunlight and reducing oxygen for fish, crabs and other Bay life.\n\n2. An element with the atomic symbol N, atomic number 7, and atomic weight [14.00643; 14.00728]. Nitrogen exists as a diatomic gas and makes up about 78% of the earth's atmosphere by volume. It is a constituent of proteins and nucleic acids and found in all living cells.\n\n3. Type of nutrient that contributes to the Bay's poor water quality. While nitrogen is needed for plant growth, human activities--like driving cars or applying fertilizers--contribute more nitrogen than the Bay's waters can handle. Elevated nitrogen levels cause more algae to grow, blocking out sunlight and reducing oxygen for fish, crabs and other Bay life.\n\n4. An element occurring in manure and chemical fertilizer that is essential to the growth and development of plants, but which, in excess, can cause water to become polluted and threaten aquatic animals.",
  "abbreviation": "N",
  "subject": "Water",
  "references": [
    "Chesapeake Bay Glossary",
    "MeSH",
    "NPS Agriculture Glossary; Nonpoint Pollution Source from Agriculture Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/nitrogen/"
}