Term: nitrogen fixation https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04159 Definition: The assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by microbial reduction to ammonia and conversion into organonitrogen compounds such as amino acids. Only a limited number of microorganisms are able to fix nitrogen. Source: PAC, 1992, 64, 143. 'Glossary for chemists of terms used in biotechnology (IUPAC Recommendations 1992)' on page 161 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199264010143) Citation: 'nitrogen fixation' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04159 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.