Name: Nitrogen's Journey in Ecosystems
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 3 min 5 s
Description: Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air, however, neither plants nor animals can take nitrogen directly from the air because nitrogen is so unreactive. Let's explore.

Question

What are essential elements for plants? Give the criteria of essentiality? How are minerals classified depending upon the amount in which they are needed by the plants?

Accepted Answer

Essential elements are elements that are required by the plants for normal growth and reproduction. These include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, potassium, etc.

Following are the various criteria for essentiality-

a. The element must be absolutely essential for supporting normal growth and reproduction in the plant.

b. The requirement of an element must be specific and not replaceable by any other element.

c. The element must be directly involved in metabolism in the plant.

On the basis of the amount in which minerals are needed by plants, they are divided into two categories, namely, macronutrients and micronutrients.

Macronutrients: Elements which are present in large amounts in the plant tissues are called macronutrients. Examples: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. Of these, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are mainly obtained from CO₂ and H₂O, while the others are absorbed from the soil as mineral nutrition.

Micronutrients: Elements which are present in small amounts in the plant tissues are called micronutrients or trace elements. Examples: iron, calcium, magnesium, etc.

What are essential elements for plants? Give the criteria of essentiality? How are minerals classified depending upon the amount in which they are needed by the plants?

Important Questions on Mineral Nutrition

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