Nitrogen cycle???

Question

in the nitrogen cycle, specialized bacteria break down nitrogen compounds and release what?

Answer 1

It's the other way round.

"Unfixed" nitrogen, the elemental gas, is useless to

most organisms. Combined nitrogen can be made,

with other things, into protein, an essential component

of living things.

Those specialized bacteria you speak of 'fix' nitrogen,

making it available to other organisms to use.