Denitrification generally proceeds through some combination of the following half reactions, with the enzyme catalyzing the reaction in parentheses:
* NO + 2 H + 2 e →  + HO (Nitrate reductase)
*  + 2 H + e → NO + HO  (Nitrite reductase)
* 2 NO + 2 H +  2 e →  + HO (Nitric-oxide reductase)
*  + 2 H +  2 e →  + HO  (Nitrous-oxide reductase)
The complete process can be expressed as a net balanced redox reaction, where nitrate (NO) gets fully reduced to dinitrogen (N):
* 2 NO + 10 e + 12 H → N + 6 HO