Mystery Atom Helps Plants Grow

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• SLAC Research Cracks Puzzle of Enzyme Critical to Food Supply

Inside Science Buzzwords:

1. Nitrogenase - An enzyme that converts nitrogen molecules into a form that living things can use for energy.
2. Nitrogen fixation - The conversion of nitrogen molecules, which do not readily react with other substances, into ammonium, an electrically charged molecule containing nitrogen and hydrogen that is highly reactive with other substances and participates in many important biochemical processes.
3. X-ray emission spectroscopy - A technique that can help identify chemical elements, by using X-rays to remove electrons from atoms and molecules of interest and measuring the the spectrum of radiation emitted from them.