Scientifically, the term buffalo is incorrect for the North American species; its proper Latin name is Bison bison. However, common usage has made the term buffalo an acceptable synonym for the American bison. (from The American Buffalo in Transition, by J. Albert Rorabacher.).
Life cycle. Life cycle, in biology, the series of changes that the members of a species undergo as they pass from the beginning of a given developmental stage to the inception of that same developmental stage in a subsequent generation.
The nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle is one of the 'magical' cycles of nature in which essential nutrients for life, such as nitrogen, are cycled between atmosphere, soil and water without the elements vanishing. It enables components such as nitrogen to be used for one generation and recycled for future generations.