Question

use your understanding of the nitrogen cycle to answer the questions provided. the nitrogen cycle could not exist without → bacteria x. complete put the steps of the carbon cycle in order using step 1 as your starting point. step 1: bacteria, through nitrogen fixation and nitrification, convert nitrogen into a usable form. the animal dies and decomposes, returning nitrogen back to the soil. once nitrogen is in usable form, it is taken up by plants and assimilated into proteins. an animal eats a plant and the nitrogen becomes part of the animals proteins.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the first step after nitrogen is made usable by bacteria

Once nitrogen is in a usable form by bacteria through nitrogen - fixation and nitrification, the next step is that plants take it up and assimilate it into proteins. So Step 2 is "Once nitrogen is in usable form, it is taken up by plants and assimilated into proteins."

Step2: Identify the step after plants assimilate nitrogen

After plants assimilate nitrogen into proteins, an animal eats the plant and the nitrogen becomes part of the animal's proteins. So Step 3 is "An animal eats a plant and the nitrogen becomes part of the animal's proteins."

Step3: Identify the final step in the cycle

After the animal has the nitrogen in its proteins, when the animal dies and decomposes, nitrogen is returned back to the soil. So Step 4 is "The animal dies and decomposes, returning nitrogen back to the soil."

Answer:

Step 2: Once nitrogen is in usable form, it is taken up by plants and assimilated into proteins.
Step 3: An animal eats a plant and the nitrogen becomes part of the animal's proteins.
Step 4: The animal dies and decomposes, returning nitrogen back to the soil.