‘All elements that are present in a plant need not be essential to its survival’. Comment.

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‘All elements that are present in a plant need not be essential to its survival’. Comment.

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Salim Ahmed Kawsar · Answer 1 · Feb 05, 2023 15:29:48

Plants tend to absorb different kinds of nutrients from soil. However, a nutrient is inessential for a plant if it is not involved in the plant’s physiology and metabolism. For example, plants growing near radioactive sites tend to accumulate radioactive metals. Similarly, gold and selenium get accumulated in plants growing near mining sites. However, this does not mean that radioactive metals, gold, or selenium are essential nutrients for the survival of these plants.

Salim Ahmed Kawsar · Answer 2 · Feb 05, 2023 15:29:48

An element should fulfill certain criteria to be categorized as essential element. Otherwise, it cannot be considered as essential elements. Out of the numerous elements present in plants, only 17 are considered as essential elements.

Salim Ahmed Kawsar · Answer 3 · Feb 05, 2023 15:29:48

The criteria for essentiality of an element are given below:

The element must be absolutely necessary for supporting normal growth and reproduction. In the absence of the element the plants do not complete their life cycle or set the seeds.
The requirement of the element must be specific and not replaceable by another element. In other words, deficiency of any one element cannot be met by supplying some other element.
The element must be directly involved in, the metabolism of the plant.

‘All elements that are present in a plant need not be essential to its survival’. Comment.

3 Answers