Introduction to the Topic
All living organisms require some source of energy and minerals and nutrients to ensure the proper functioning of the body and that their life process and growth goes smoothly. As you may know that we fulfill our energy requirements through food which is known to be the primary source of energy. Along with animals, human beings and even plants require some particular nutrients for their growth and development. These nutrients are the important nutrients that are found in our food such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc. Plants are the only living things that can synthesize their own food by the biological process that is known as photosynthesis. During this process, the plants utilize sunlight to synthesize the important nutrients using carbon dioxide and water. This process can be done only by green plants as they require green pigments known as chlorophyll for photosynthesis and generate oxygen as a by-product.
Types of Nutrition
There are mainly two types of nutrients based on their food consuming ability:
Autotrophic Nutrition: All organisms who have capability to synthesize their own food are known to be autotrophic in nature. All green plants are known to exhibit autotrophic nutrition as they synthesize food with the help of sunlight, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll pigments, water and other essential minerals from soil.
Heterotrophic Nutrition: An organism which depends on other organisms for their food are known to be heterotrophic in nature. Both vertebrates and humans are considered as heterotrophic organisms as they depend on other sources for their food.
Some Interesting Facts about Nutrition
Some key facts regarding nutrients in plants are:
Plants are the only living organisms that are capable of synthesizing their own food by using direct sunlight, carbon dioxide, and other essential minerals obtained from the soil. Because of this reason, they are known to be autotrophic in nature.
Plants absorb water, minerals, and food through their own system called the vascular system. As they absorb the water and minerals through their roots via the xylem as the xylem helps in the upward movement of water and minerals.
Plants have both autotrophic and heterotrophic modes of nutrition. Plants that have chlorophyll pigments in their cells are able to synthesize their own food but the plant which lacks chlorophyll in their cells depends on other autotrophic plants for their food and energy requirements and such plants are known to be heterotrophic in nature.
Plants, in general, need more sunlight in comparison to other organisms, and due to this reason, they can adapt themselves into triangular shapes so that they can trap the maximum amount of sunlight required for photosynthesis.
The Location where photosynthesis occurs in plants is known as the chloroplast and this chloroplast contains chlorophyll pigments. The Chloroplasts are surrounded by a double membrane and contain a third inner membrane, called the thylakoid membrane, which forms long folds within the organelle.
FAQs on Interesting Facts About Nutrition in Plants
1. What is the role of chlorophyll?
The green-coloured pigment present in the plants’ cells is known as chlorophyll that is present inside the chloroplast and is abundantly found in the leaves. The main function of the chloroplasts is to capture light and in turn produce food for the plant body through the process of photosynthesis. Therefore, leaves are the main sources of Photosynthesis and in turn nutrition for the plants.
2. Define the term Micro and Macronutrients?
Plants require various nutrients for the proper functioning of their systems, these can be classified as Macronutrients and Micronutrients. They are classified as:
Macronutrients: Those Nutrients which are required by the body in greater amounts are known as macro-nutrients. They provide energy and support every metabolic process.
Micronutrients: Those plant-based nutrients are required in very small quantities and are mainly responsible for repairing damaged cells and tissues, prevention of infectious diseases by fighting against the disease-causing pathogens that include bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. Some of these Micronutrients are calcium, iron, vitamins, iron, minerals, and vitamin C.
3. What is Photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is the biochemical process that changes carbon dioxide and water into sugar i.e glucose and oxygen. This process is carried out mostly by green plants as green pigments are required for photosynthesis that generates oxygen as a by-product. It is one of the important natural phenomenons that is found in nature as it is the bedrock of all of animal life that exists in nature. All animals require Oxygen and there is a limited amount of oxygen available in the air and if the plants do not synthesize Oxygen then we shall not be able to breathe.
4. What is the importance of Plants with respect to Global Warming?
Global Warming is a recent phenomenon where it has been observed that the average temperature of the globe has been steadily rising due to the increased emission of carbon dioxide because of enhanced human activities. This increased Carbon dioxide percentage has been a great cause of concern for humanity as carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat. One of the simplest ways to counter global warming is to plant as many trees as we can so that these trees can consume the extra carbon by the process of photosynthesis.
5. What are the Carnivorous Plants?
In some areas, where the soil is unable to provide adequate nutrition to the plants, it has been observed that some plants have evolved and adapted innovative ways to find nutrition for their existence. These plants are known as carnivorous plants because they hunt insects inside their leaves and consume them. The Carnivorous plants usually look exactly like normal plants but when an insect is trapped in between their leaves, they close themselves and the insect is trapped.
6. Write Names of Various Sources of Plant Nutrients?
Various sources of plant nutrients are soil, water, air as well as various natural materials. Various other sources are manure, compost, fertilizer for the correct balance of nutrients.
