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GK MCQs Section
Q. Consider the following statements:
  1. Biological Nitrogen Fixation occurs in absence of Oxygen only
  2. Only Symbiotic Bacteria can fix atmospheric Nitrogen
Which among the above statements is / are correct?
Answer: Both are incorrect
Notes:
  1. Biological Nitrogen Fixation occurs in absence of Oxygen only - Incorrect. Both aerobic (requiring oxygen) and anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) bacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen.
  2. Only Symbiotic Bacteria can fix atmospheric Nitrogen - Incorrect. Apart from symbiotic bacteria, free-living bacteria like Azotobacter can also fix atmospheric nitrogen.
To summarize:
  1. Nitrogen fixation can occur in both presence and absence of oxygen.
  2. Both symbiotic bacteria and some free-living bacteria have nitrogen fixing capability.
Therefore, both statement 1 and statement 2 are incorrect.

This question is part of UPSC Daily 20 MCQ Series Course on GKToday Android app.