Plant Nutrition Flashcards
What is plant nutrition?
The study of the chemical elements and compounds necessary for plant growth
Plant nutrition involves understanding how plants obtain nutrients from their environment to complete their life cycle.
According to Justus von Liebig’s law of the minimum, what happens in the absence of essential nutrients?
The plant is unable to complete a normal life cycle
This law states that the nutrient in shortest supply is the one that limits growth.
How many total essential plant nutrients are there?
Seventeen different elements
These include both macronutrients and micronutrients.
Which elements are absorbed from the air by plants?
Carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen
These elements are crucial for various metabolic processes in plants.
What are the macronutrients that plants must obtain from their growing medium?
- Nitrogen (N)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Potassium (K)
- Calcium (Ca)
- Sulfur (S)
- Magnesium (Mg)
- Carbon (C)
- Hydrogen (H)
- Oxygen (O)
Macronutrients are needed in larger quantities for plant growth.
What are micronutrients in plants also known as?
Trace minerals
Micronutrients are required in smaller amounts but are still essential for plant health.
List the micronutrients essential for plant growth.
- Iron (Fe)
- Boron (B)
- Chlorine (Cl)
- Manganese (Mn)
- Zinc (Zn)
- Copper (Cu)
- Molybdenum (Mo)
- Nickel (Ni)
Each micronutrient serves specific functions in plant metabolism.
What process do plants use to synthesize their food?
Photosynthesis
This process converts light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.
Where does photosynthesis primarily occur in plants?
In the leaves
Leaves contain chloroplasts, which are the sites of photosynthesis.
What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?
Helps capture energy from sunlight
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells.
What raw materials do plants use for photosynthesis?
- Water
- Carbon dioxide
- Sunlight
These materials are essential for the production of glucose and oxygen.
What are the products of photosynthesis?
- Carbohydrates
- Oxygen
Oxygen is released as a byproduct and is crucial for life on Earth.
True or False: Plants are called primary producers.
True
This is because they produce their own food through photosynthesis.
Fill in the blank: The process through which plants produce food using sunlight is called _______.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is vital for the energy flow in ecosystems.
What is the primary source of energy for all living organisms?
The sun
Sunlight is essential for photosynthesis, which underpins the food chain.
What is the role of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide is reduced to form glucose by utilizing chemical energy
This process occurs during the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis.
What pigment is essential for photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy, primarily from the sun.
List the steps in photosynthesis.
- Absorption of energy from sunlight
- Conversion of light energy into chemical energy
- Hydrolysis of water into oxygen and hydrogen
- Carbon dioxide is reduced to form glucose
These steps occur in two main stages: the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle).
What type of nutrition do some plants that lack chlorophyll use?
Heterotrophic Nutrition in Plants
These plants depend on other plants for their food through various modes of nutrition.
What are the different types of heterotrophic plants?
- Parasitic
- Insectivorous
- Saprophytic
- Symbiotic
These classifications are based on their mode of nutrition.
What are parasitic plants?
Plants that depend on other plants and animals for nutrition without benefiting the host
Examples include Cuscuta and Cassytha.
What is insectivorous nutrition?
Nutrition obtained by trapping and digesting insects
Examples include the Pitcher plant and Venus flytrap.
What do saprophytic plants feed on?
Dead and decaying plants and animals
They secrete digestive juices to dissolve and absorb nutrients from the decaying matter.
