33. Nitrogen Fixation
- Used For: Fertilizer, Medication, Dyes, & Explosives
Nitrogen Fixation is one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history, mostly due to completely changing the planet. It’s a process where molecular nitrogen in the air is converted into ammonia or some other related nitro compound in the soil. This is massive, as fixed inorganic nitrogen compounds are required for the biosynthesis of all nitrogen-containing organic compounds.

This includes things like amino acids & proteins, nucleic acids, and nucleoside triphosphates. This particular process is huge for the world of agriculture and the overall manufacturing of fertilizer. It is also used, although indirectly, in the manufacturing of several nitrogen-based chemical compounds. This includes things like medications, dyes, and some explosives. There’s far more to this but we just do not have enough space or time to go into it all.