What is happening when nitrogen in the atmosphere is turned into nitrates?

Nitrogen Fixation.

Step-by- step Explanation:

When the atmospheric nitrogen is converted in to nitrates , the process is termed as Nitrogen fixation.Nitrogen Fixation can be non biological or Biological.Non biological nitrogen fixation involves the formation of nitrates from nitrogen through abiotic means.Non biological nitrogen fixation occurs when lightning occurs and provides sufficient energy to break the triple bond of nitrogen to make it react with the  atmospheric oxygen to form oxides of nitrogen.The oxides of nitrogen combine with water vapour or rain and produce nitric acid that seeps into the soil and forms nitrates.Biological Nitrogen fixation occurs when nitrogen fixing prokaryotic organism called diazotrophs convert atmosphereic nitrogen to nitrates through biosynthetic pathway.

It is called the medulla oblongata or people usually call it medulla. it is the lower half of the brain stem continuous with the spinal cord.