1.3.8 Minerals
Minerals
What are minerals?
They are salts formed from the earth’s rocks.
These mineral salts then dissolve in water and
are absorbed by plants.
Animals get their minerals by eating plants or
other animals that contain them.
NB Minerals are required by organisms in
very small amounts.
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Minerals and Plants
Plants absorb minerals through their roots.
They use:
• Calcium (Ca) to make cell walls
• Magnesium (Mg) to make the pigment
chlorophyll
• Nitrates (N) to make proteins
• Phosphates (P) to make ATP, DNA
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Minerals and Animals
Animals get their minerals in the food they eat.
They use
• Calcium (Ca) to make bones and teeth
• Iron (Fe) to make the pigment haemoglobin
• Sodium (Na) for the regulation of the osmotic
balance (water content) of cells and the
blood.
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Learning check
How do plants get their minerals?
_________________________________
Plants absorb minerals through their roots
Plants use:
cell walls
• Calcium (Ca) to make ________
pigment
• Magnesium (Mg) to make the
_________
chlorophyll
_________
• Nitrates (N) to make proteins
______
ATP, DNA
• Phosphates (P) to make _________
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Learning check
How do animals get their minerals?
________________
In the food they eat
Animals use:
and teeth
• Calcium (Ca) to make bones
____________
• Iron (Fe) to make the pigment haemoglobin
__________
• Sodium (Na) for the regulation of the
_____________
osmotic balance (___________)
water content of cells and
the blood.
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Minerals Summary
They are required to:
• Form part of rigid body tissues
Calcium in bones and cell walls
• Form certain pigments
Iron is needed to make haemoglobin – the
red pigment of blood
Magnesium is needed to make chlorophyll
– the green pigment in plants
• Regulate body fluids
Sodium balances water content in cells
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Need to know
• Minerals required in small amounts
• Minerals used in three ways
– Form part of rigid body structures
– Form soft body tissues
– Function in cellular and body fluids
• State the requirements & use of any 2
minerals in plants.
• State the requirements & use of any 2
minerals in animals.
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END
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