he conversion process where nitrogen gas combines with hydrogen to form ammonium ions, which is accomplished through the intense energy of lightening, or when air in the top layer of soil comes into contact with certain bacteria, is known as

The conversation process where nitrogen gas combines with hydrogen to form ammonium ions is known as THE ACTION OF THUNDERSTORMS while when air in the top layer of soil comes into contact with certain bacteria, nitrogen in the air is converted by NITROGEN- FIXING MICROORGANISMS.

Explanation:

About 79% of air is composed of gaseous nitrogen. However, only a few microorganism can make use of this nitrogen. The important sources of nitrogen for plants and most living organisms are the inorganic nitrogenous compounds in soil. In nature, nitrogen is constantly being removed from the soil and returned to it through the NITROGEN CYCLE

Conversation of gaseous Nitrogen into nitrogenous substances such as ammonium and amino-compouds are carried out by:

--> The action of thunderstorms, and

--> NITROGEN- fixing microorganisms.

During thunderstorms, Nitrogen reacts with oxygen to form nitric oxide. The nitric oxide is oxidizes to Nitrogen peroxide which dissolves in rainwater to form nitric and nitrous acid. When these acids enter the soil, they combine with mineral salts to form nitrates. The nitrates then, dissolve in soil water and are absorbed by the plants. These nitrates are converted into plant proteins and become part of the plant body.

Some microorganisms such as the Nitrogen fixing microorganisms are able to absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere and change it into amino-compouds and proteins. Examples of such microorganisms include:

--> the free living bacteria: these include the azotobacter and clostridium

--> the symbiotic bacteria: the rhizobium which is found in the root nodules of leguminous plants

"1. it should be, it has been for about 20 years, and it's really not much different in the end than breeding animals to have particular traits. there are always concerns about genetically engineered animals/plants affecting the environment in unexpected negative ways, but i can't think of an example where the fears didn't turn out to be baseless.  

first, as you point out, it would be a great advance in pharmacology, to be able to tailor drugs and their doses to me. the pros involve better medical treatment. the cons involve privacy issues like insurance companies denying coverage to people with genetic risk factors. looking at dna markers wouldn't affect the frequency of genetic diseases, but it would allow detection of them earlier. and ok, actually i suppose that if people used this information to avoid having children with genetic diseases, some might decrease in frequency."