How is the Nitrate Ion (NO3) formed? I understand how the nitrite $\ce{NO2}$ ion can be formed and have a negative charge, but the nitrate $\ce{NO3}$ ion is confusing me. I made some simple drawings to try to explain what I don't understand:



Does the "electron from outside" that the oxygen receives, as indicated in the drawing, comes from the nitrogen atom? If so, then the N atom would be left with only 4 valence electrons instead of 5, thus being able to form another covalent bond with the extra oxygen, forming $\ce{NO3}$. Is this the correct line of thinking?
An organiker would look at it this way.



An inorganiker might look at it as literal N(+5) with two double-bonded oxygens.  It does redox as N(+5). Coordination structures are varied,