When we think about the air surrounding us, we often relate this gaseous mixture to oxygen, the giver of life. However, there is another vital element in the air that we too often disregard: nitrogen. The Earth’s biosphere would be nothing without nitrogen. Life as we know it today would not exist if it were not for this element. This episode will discuss the five different processes that convert nitrogen-containing compounds from one form to another: nitrogen fixation, nitrification, anammox, denitrification, and ammonification. We will then proceed to talk about why we even have this episode about nitrogen. Why is it important? Why is it necessary for life? Finally, we will close out the episode with a discussion on how we as humans have artificially inserted ourselves into the nitrogen cycle and the detriments this has led to for the environment.