Biology Leasons: Season One, Week three |Plant Nutrition by @starshipsfly|| 10% to steem.skilshare

The ability to feed is very special characteristics in all living things. Food is very important for living things to survive and carry out other life processes. The mode of nutrition for plants and animals differs. Plants have two major modes of feeding - Autotrophic feeding - heterotopic feeding

Plants that have autotrophic feeding are able to manufacture their food by themselves and are known as They produce their food through a process known as photosynthesis and are mostly green plants.

Heterotopic plants cannot produce their food but depend on autotrophs for feeding.
They are classified as

• Parasitic
• Insectivorous
• Saprophytic
• Symbiotic

Photosynthesis

This is the process by which green plants are able to produce their own food in the presence of sunlight using carbon dioxide and water.
In this process, within ten chlorophyll of leaves which is the green pigment, water combines with carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight to liberate glucose and oxygen as the by products of this process. The efficiency of this process is very important because it supports the life cycle of all living things especially human. Without photosynthesis, there won't be oxygen for humanity.

Materials necessary for photosynthesis to take place

They are many things necessary for photosynthesis to take place. Without this things, photosynthesis cannot be possible.

• Carbon dioxide: this is gotten from the atmosphere and it travels through intercellular spaces to the stomata through a process known as diffusion.it further diffuses into the mesophyll cells that contains chloroplasts.

• Water and Mineral salts: water and Mineral salts are
  sourced from the soil. Through osmotic process, they go through the root hairs to the roots of plants. The xylem from the roots of plants conduct the dissolved water and Mineral salts through the stem to the mesophyll cells containing chlorophyll of the leaves.

• Sunlight: this is sourced from solar energy. The light from the sun gets entrapped by the chlorophyll of leaves. The sum is important for the photolysis of water which is a process that splits water into hydroxyl ions and hydrogen ions.

• Chlorophyll: chlorophyll is the green coloured pigment in leaves of plants. It helps trap solar energy and convert it to chemical energy.
  Optimum temperature: this is very important to help enzymes function well durring photosynthesis.

Importance of photosynthesis

Through photosynthesis, oxygen is released into the environment and this is really important for animals to respirate.

• Photosynthesis provides food for both plant and animals. Animal depends on autotrophic plants for feeding as they cannot produce their own food.
• Photosynthesis makes the building block for food substances like protein, oils to be made.
• Photosynthesis helps purify the atmosphere by making use of carbon dioxide which is released during respiration by animal, and use it to during the process.

Mineral requirements of plants.

Just like animal, plants require many minerals to aid proper growth and function.

• Nitrogen:This helps in the formation of chlorophyll,nucleic acid and aids synthesis of protein. Lack of this mineral results to stunted growth, yellow leaves and small leaves.

• Potassium: this aids cell formation, helps in the synthesis of carbohydrates and activates the reaction of plant enzymes. Lack of the mineral results to stunted growth, Browning of leaves and weak slender stems.

• Phosphorus: this aids in the formation of co-enzymes, fruit formation and maturity and protein. It controls nuclear division and helps in the development of roots. Lack of phosphorus in plants results to poor root development, poor growth and the leaves of stems of the plants turn reddish brown.

• Magnesium: this adds in chlorophyll formation. Lack of magnesium leads to yellowing of leaves and poor growth in plants.

• Sulphur:it aids the synthesis of protein. Lack of sulphur in plants results today stunted growth, yellowing of leaves and slender stem.

• Zinc:this helps in the activation of enzymes. Lack of zinc causes poor leaf formation in plants.

• Calcium: this aids in the formation of cell walls, helps neutralise organic acids and aids activates certain enzymes. Lack of calcium results to stunted growth, weak slender plants and poor root development.

• Boron: aids the transportation of sugar and calcium.ack of boron results to the shoots of plants turning brown.

• Iron: this mineral aids in the formation of chlorophyll. Lack of iron results to stunted growth and yellowing of leaves.

Other minerals like

• Manganese
• Copper
• Silicon
• Molybdenum

are also important in plants nutrition.

This is the end of our class today and I hope we all benefited. Questions are welcomed too.
Thanks for your time
Cc:@steem.skillshare
@daytona475

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