Essential Nutrients Notes Sheet
Name: ___________________________________________
Date:
1. Scientists have identified _______________ elements that are essential for plants.
2. An element is described as being essential to the plant if the following conditions are met:
a.
b.
c.
d.
3. Can be classified as _______________________ or ___________________________ nutrients.
a. Non-mineral Nutrients: Obtained from the ____________________ & ______________.
i.
b. Mineral Nutrients: Classified as ________________________________ or
______________________________.
i. Macronutrients: Needed in relatively ________________________ amounts.
1. Primary Macronutrients:
2. Secondary Macronutrients:
ii. Micronutrients: Needed in ___________________ amounts. Although they are
only needed in small amounts they are just as _______________________ to
plant health as are macronutrients.
1.
c. Plants absorb most of their essential elements from __________________ in the soil.
4. Humans require _______ essential nutrients.
5. Although the atmosphere is about ________________Nitrogen (N), plants cannot make use of
Nitrogen Gas (N2).
a. Instead, plants need to obtain their nitrogen by taking up cation
__________________________________ or the anion
__________________________________ in the soil.
b. These are generated by the breakdown of _______________________ material in the
soil or through nitrogen fixation.
c. Some crop plants live with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in their roots and convert
Nitrogen Gas (N2) into a form plants can use.
i.
6. Nitrogen Cycle:
7. Four Processes:
a. Nitrogen Fixation:
b. Ammonification:
c. Nitrification:
d. Denitrification:
8. Summarize the Nitrogen Cycle
a. Plants cannot use the ____________________ in the air that is so plentiful.
b. When plants and animals die and decompose they ________________ nitrogen to the
soil.
c. ________________ in the soil convert the nitrogen into compounds that plants can use.
d. Plants take in these nitrogen-containing compounds through their ______________ and
use them to grow.
e. ______________________ eat the plants, use the nitrogen and return it to the soil when
they die and decompose.
9. Essential elements found in the soil come from:
a. Natural ones, such as the erosion of rocks
b. The action of ___________________.
c. The _________________________ of plant and animal material
d. Human-associated activities, such as ______________________ from fertilizers used by
farmers and the public as well as from waste that humans produce.
e. ___________________ from industry and automobiles