What is the process of converting urea to ammonium by enzymes called?

The process of converting urea to ammonium by enzymes is most accurately referred to as urea hydrolysis. This process involves the enzymatic breakdown of urea, which is a nitrogen-containing compound, into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Specifically, urease is the enzyme responsible for catalyzing this reaction.

During urea hydrolysis, water is utilized to assist in cleaving the urea molecule, resulting in the release of ammonium ions (NH4+). This conversion is a vital part of the nitrogen cycle, as it transforms a stable form of nitrogen (urea) into a form that plants can readily absorb and use.

Ammonification, while related, refers more broadly to the process by which organic matter is decomposed into ammonium, which can include various sources beyond just urea, such as proteins and other nitrogen-containing organic materials. Nitrogenase activity specifically pertains to the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium by certain bacteria, and denitrification is the reduction of nitrates back into nitrogen gas, completing another phase of the nitrogen cycle. Thus, urea hydrolysis is the specific and correct term for the conversion of urea to ammonium.