Importance of Water and Inorganic Ions in Plants
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- Date Submitted: 03/13/2010 01:06 PM
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Explain the Importance of water and inorganic ions (nitrate, calcium and magnesium) to plants
Water
Cellular activities within the plant require water to occur.
Water regulates the temperature of the plant, both internally and externally. Water evaporating from the surface of a plant leaf takes heat away, preventing temperatures from rising too high.
Helps the plant and its cells to maintain their structure, by regulating their turgor pressure. Most plant cells have a vacuole that pushes out when water it is filled with water. When plants do not have enough water, they wilt as the cells become flaccid.
Water is needed for photosynthesis, where the plant uses the sun’s energy to convert it into food. Hydrogen from water is required for photosynthesis, and sugars produced are carried back around the vascular system of the plant by water.
The apoplast, the spaces between cells, contain water, which accumulate there.
Nitrates
Nitrogen is a very important element in itself. It is needed in both plants and animals for growth and reproduction. Nitrate is a natural material in soils, and 90 percent of the nitrogen that the plant absorbs is in the form of nitrates. Healthy plants typically contain around 3-4% nitrogen in their aboveground. Nitrogen is taken in by plants throughout their lives and there is a correlation between the growth of the plant and the amount of nitrate that it needs.
Nitrates can be found in:
Chemical fertilizer,
Soil organic matter,
Animal manure,
Treated urban organic wastes.
Nitrates are soluble in water and they are transported within the soil by the movement of soil moisture. They are transported around the plant after being taken up by the roots to places where they are needed. Nitrate ions are important in a plant as they are used to make the amino acids in a plant, the building blocks of proteins. Essential plant enzymes are also...
Water
Cellular activities within the plant require water to occur.
Water regulates the temperature of the plant, both internally and externally. Water evaporating from the surface of a plant leaf takes heat away, preventing temperatures from rising too high.
Helps the plant and its cells to maintain their structure, by regulating their turgor pressure. Most plant cells have a vacuole that pushes out when water it is filled with water. When plants do not have enough water, they wilt as the cells become flaccid.
Water is needed for photosynthesis, where the plant uses the sun’s energy to convert it into food. Hydrogen from water is required for photosynthesis, and sugars produced are carried back around the vascular system of the plant by water.
The apoplast, the spaces between cells, contain water, which accumulate there.
Nitrates
Nitrogen is a very important element in itself. It is needed in both plants and animals for growth and reproduction. Nitrate is a natural material in soils, and 90 percent of the nitrogen that the plant absorbs is in the form of nitrates. Healthy plants typically contain around 3-4% nitrogen in their aboveground. Nitrogen is taken in by plants throughout their lives and there is a correlation between the growth of the plant and the amount of nitrate that it needs.
Nitrates can be found in:
Chemical fertilizer,
Soil organic matter,
Animal manure,
Treated urban organic wastes.
Nitrates are soluble in water and they are transported within the soil by the movement of soil moisture. They are transported around the plant after being taken up by the roots to places where they are needed. Nitrate ions are important in a plant as they are used to make the amino acids in a plant, the building blocks of proteins. Essential plant enzymes are also...