CBSE Class 11 - Biology - Role of Micro and Macro Nutrients in Plants (#cbseNotes)

Role of Micro and Macro Nutrients in Plants

Like other organisms, plants also require some elements for their growth. These elements are called nutrients. There are six macro nutrients and seven micro nutrients. Apart from this, water and air provides Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen.

Nutrient	Absorbed as	Role
Nitrogen	NO₂⁻,NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺	Required by all metabolically active cells and meristematic tissues.
Phosphorus	H₂PO₄⁻ or HPO₄²⁻	Constitutes cell membranes, protenins, all nucleic acids and nucleotides, Required for ATP formpation.
Potassium	K⁺	Required in abundance by meristematic tissues, buds, leaves, root tips etc. Maintains anion-cation balance in cells.Involved in opening and closing of stomata and maintains turgidity of cells.
Calcium	Ca²⁺	Meristematic and differentiating tissues. Formation of mitotic spindle, activates enzymes, Synthesis of middle lamella (Capectate) of cell wall during cell division
Magnesium	Mg²⁺	Activates enzymes of respiration and photosynthesis, involved in DNA and RNA synthesis, constitutes ring structure of chlorophyll.
Sulphur	SO₄²⁻	Found in amino acid cysteine and methionine
Iron	Fe³⁺	Constitutes proteins involved in electron transport system such as cytochromes and ferredoxin
Manganese	Mn²⁺	Activates enzymes involved in photosynthesis, respiration, and nitrogen metabolism.
Zinc	Zn²⁺	Synthesis of auxins and activates carboxylases enzymes.
Copper	Cu²⁺	Overall metabolism of plants and activates enzymes involved in redox reactions.
Boron	BO₃³⁻ or B₄O₇²⁺	Involved in pollen germination, In cell elognation and differentiation.
Molybdenum	MoO₂²⁺	Involved in nitrogen metabolism, enzymes like nitrogenase and nitrate reductase.
Chlorine	Cl⁻	Involved in water splitting reaction of photosynthesis and determines solute concentration.