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Nitrogen-fixing microbes use nitrogenase, an enzyme with unusual metal clusters.
| Symbol | N |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 7 |
| Standard atomic weight | 14.007 |
| Group | 15 |
| Period | 2 |
| Block | p-block |
| Category | Nonmetal |
| Standard state | Gas |
| Discovered | 1772 |
Source: PubChem, Nitrogen (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.
Kim and Rees proposed structural models, from a 2.7 Å crystal structure, for the metal centres of the nitrogenase molybdenum-iron protein: the FeMo-cofactor, built from iron-sulfur and molybdenum-iron-sulfur clusters, and the P-clusters, made of two 4Fe:4S clusters.
As reported in: Kim, Rees (1992). Structural Models for the Metal Centers in the Nitrogenase Molybdenum-Iron Protein. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1529354
Abstract only
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