Life · life

Nitrogenase

Enzyme · Mo, Fe, S

Numbers: Sixteen ATP per nitrogen molecule fixed. Industry does the same job at 400 °C and 200 atmospheres.
Kind: Enzyme

Function

Breaks the triple bond in atmospheric N₂ — one of the strongest in chemistry — at ambient temperature and pressure, on a cluster of molybdenum, iron and sulfur. Oxygen destroys it, so organisms that use it must keep it in an anoxic pocket.

Elements

MoFeS

Open on the Life shelf — the interactive card, the filters, and everything alongside it.

From the Life database in Notion, last edited 2026-08-25. This page is the row, rendered by the build; nothing on it is written by hand.