Mineral Nutrition: Important Questions

Very Short Answer Questions [1 Marks Question]

Ques: What is the name of the plant that accumulates silicon?

Ans: The plant name is Triticum aestivum and Oryza sativa. Common wheat is also known as bread wheat and it is also known as Triticum aestivum.

Ques: Explain the word “chlorosis”.

Ans: Chlorosis is the loss of green colour in leaves in plants that happens due to deficiency of chlorophyll and the leaves of the plant turn yellow. Magnesium, iron, and nitrogen are the source of chlorophyll deficiency.

Ques: Explain the purpose of phytotron?

Ans: The purpose of phytotron is used to grow plants in a homely and controlled environment. It is a research greenhouse that is enclosed indoors. The research and study of interactions between various plants and their surroundings are the main functions of phytotrons. This is one of the important parts of botany and physiology.

Ques: Which plant lacks chlorophyll. How does it fulfil its nutritional requirements? Give an example.

Ans: Monotropa is a plant which has lack of chlorophyll and it is also known as a ghost plant. It takes the help of another plant to grow and it grows as a parasite and derives nutrition from the host plant.

Ques: Explain the term hydroponics?

Ans: Hydroponics is a unique method for plantation in the complete absence of soil. In this method, the nutrients are compensated by water.

Ques: In the following elements which one of them is needed for the completion of their life cycle?

1. Manure
2. Fertilizers
3. Essential elements
4. Macroelements

Ans: The answer is (c) essential elements. Every plant needs essential elements for the growth and development of its body. These elements also help the plant reproduce. Essential elements are macronutrients and micronutrients which help in the germination of seeds, and proper growth of roots, leaves, branches, and stems.

Ques: Explain the term “micronutrients”?

Ans: The small amounts of nutrients demanded by plants are called micronutrients and these are also used for the process of photosynthesis by plants. Some of the micronutrients are boron, copper, manganese, iron, chlorine, and molybdenum.

Ques. Which scientist proposed the idea that plants require essential minerals?

Ans: In 1939 Arnon and Stout originated the idea that plants require essential minerals for overall growth.

Ques: Name the macronutrient that is a component of all organic compounds but it doesn’t present in the soil.

Ans: Carbon is a macronutrient that is a component of all organic compounds. Carbon comes from the air, in the form of carbon dioxide, rather than the soil. Carbon is the macronutrient that is a component of all organic compounds but it doesn’t present in the soil.

Ques: Derive the term necrosis?

Ans: In plants, the death of tissues and cells which usually seems like the in holes in the leaves is called necrosis.

Ques: Explain the term hunger signs?

Ans: Due to the deficiency of one or- the other essential elements, morphological abnormalities are caused. These are called hunger signs.

Short Answer Questions [2 Marks Question]

Ques: Define the term mineral nutrition? Give one name of the essential elements that is a component of energy-related chemical compounds.

Ans: Every living organisms require essential elements for overall growth and this is known as a naturally occurring inorganic nutrient. It can be found in the soil and food and it is vital for the able functioning of animal and plant bodies.

Minerals are the vital elements that allow a body to grow and survive. Minerals are essentially needed by both plants and animals. Mg is an essential element that is a component of energy-related chemical compounds.

Ques: Define the term micronutrients with an example.

Answer: Nutrients that are required by plants in very less amounts are called micronutrients. Examples of micronutrients are boron, copper, manganese, iron, chlorine, and molybdenum. These elements are often present in plant tissues. They mostly act as cofactors or activators of enzymes.

Ques: What is a trace element?

Ans: Trace elements are the essential minerals which require by the body but the required amount is less than 100 mg. Sodium, Potassium, sulfur, calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, and magnesium are trace elements. Few of them are nutritionally essential, others may be essential and the remainder are considered to be nonessential.

Ques: What is the advantage of the hydroponics method?

Ans: In the absence of soil the method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water is called Hydroponics. The advantage of hydroponics are given below:

• Minimize Space. Hydroponics requires far less space than plants grown in soil.
• It saves water.
• The facility of a Micro-Climate.
• Produces Higher Yields.
• Less Labor cost
• There is no need for soil
• Produces Higher Quality Food like organic food
• Reduces Supply Chain.

Ques: In what form is magnesium present in the soil? Mention the functions of magnesium in plants & its deficiency symptoms.

Ans: Magnesium (Mg) is one of the main factors in plant growth. It presents in the central core of the chlorophyll molecule in plant tissue.

The functions of Magnesium in Plants are given below:

1. DNA and RNA synthesis
2. It helps in activating enzymes in respiration and photosynthesis.

Deficiency Symptoms are listed below:

1. Chlorosis between the leaf veins.
2. Low level of magnesium in the soil can affect the growth of plants.

Ques: Write the importance of Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus in the nitrogen cycle?

Ans: Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus are denitrifying bacteria that carry our denitrification in the nitrogen cycle, wherein under anaerobic conditions, nitrate present in the soil is reduced back to nitrogen oxides thereby contributing to the atmospheric nitrogen. It converts the nitrate (NO₃^-) and nitrite (NO₂^-) into free nitrogen (N₂), which gets free in the atmosphere.

Short Answer Questions [3 Marks Question]

Ques: Describe the essential mineral elements?

Ans: Mineral elements are the elements that are very essential for plant growth and it is found in soil and may enter the plants through their roots. More than 60 essential mineral elements of 105 discovered so far occur in different plants. Some accumulate selenium but some others gold. Also, some plants growing near nuclear test sites take up radioactive strontium. There are two types of nutrients micronutrients and macronutrients. Boron, copper, manganese, iron, chlorine, and molybdenum are some of the micronutrients and sulfur, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium are macronutrients.

Ques: What is nitrogen fixation in plants? Explain the situation where this process actually happens in such plants.

Ans: Nitrogen fixation in plants is a process where bacteria in the soil convert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂ gas) into a form that plants can use. This process is very important for animals and plants. Nitrogen fixation normally happens in nodules in legume plants such as gram and Toor Dal.

Nitrogen fixation happens with the help of enzymes nitrogenase and leghaemoglobin. Leghaemoglobin behaves t as an Oxygen scavenges and nitrogenase catalyses the conversion of Nitrogen into NH₃. Given below is the reaction which shows the process of nitrogen fixation:

N₂ + 8e⁻ + 8H⁺ + 16ATP → 2NH₃ + H₂ + 16ADP + 16 P_i

Ques: What is the role of micronutrients in plant life?

Ans: Micronutrients are the nutrients that the plant requires in fewer amounts. It plays an important role like photosynthesis in plants. Without micronutrients, a plant can not complete its life cycle such as germination of seeds, quality harvest, etc.

Ques. What is the most important enzyme present in root nodules for fixation? Explain its functioning.

Ans: Most important enzyme present in root nodules is Nitrogenase, which catalyzes the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. The functioning of Leghaemoglobin is the pink coloured pigment. Yes, it is required as it creates anaerobic conditions for the functioning of the nitrogenase enzyme.

Very Long Answer Questions [5 Marks Question]

Ques: What is the difference between micronutrients and macronutrients?

Ans: The difference between micronutrients and macronutrients is given below:

Ques: What are the consequences of deficiency symptoms of calcium?

Ans:

• Deficiency symptoms of calcium can be the cause of termination of meristematic activity due to the disintegration of meristematic tissues.
• Due to the deficiency of calcium chlorosis on margins of leaves followed by curling and necrosis.
• Roots may be thick.
• Due to this, the premature fall of flowers reduced seed formation.
• Calcium deficiency can cause blossom end rot disease in tomatoes.

Ques: Explain all the important elements of a plant.

Ans: The important elements of the plant involve micronutrients and macronutrients for plant growth and development. There are many important and essential elements that participate in plant growth. Some of the elements are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn).

• All the essential elements maintain the osmotic pressure in the plant cells.
• Nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus are required for compounds of proteins. Magnesium plays a vital part in the constituents of chlorophyll.
• It also balances pH levels.
• These elements increase or decrease the permeability of the plasma membrane.
• They have balancing functions reactions – some of the minerals balance the effects of the other.

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