Chapter 12 : Mineral Nutrition

Hydroponics have been shown to be a successful technique for growing
of plants. Yet most of the crops are still grown on land. Why?

Give the biochemical events occurring in the root nodule of a pulse plant.
What is the end product? What is its fate?

Trace the events starting from the coming in contact of Rhizobium to a
leguminous root till nodule formation. Add a note on importance of leg
hemoglobin

We know that plants require nutrients. If we supply these in excess, will
it be beneficial to the plants? If yes, how/ If no, why?

With the help of examples describe the classification of essential elements
based on the function they perform.

What are essential elements for plants? Give the criteria of essentiality?
How are minerals classifieds depending upon the amount in which they
are needed by the plants?

We find that Rhizobium forms nodules on the roots of leguminous plants.
Also Frankia another microbe forms nitrogen fixing nodules on the roots
of non-leguminous plant Alnus.
a. Can we artificially induce the property of nitrogen fixation in a
plant – leguminous or non-leguminous?
b. What kind of relationship is observed between mycorrihiza and
pine trees?
c. Is it necessary for a microbe to be in close association with a
plant to provide mineral nutrition? Explain with the help of one
example.

It is observed that deficiency of a particular element showed its symptoms
initially in older leaves and then in younger leaves.
a. Does it indicate that the element is actively mobilized or relatively
immobile?
b. Name two elements which are highly mobile and two which are
relatively immobile.
c. How is the aspect of mobility of elements important to horticulture
and agriculture?

A farmer adds/ supplies Na, Ca, Mg and Fe regularly to his field and yet
he observes that the plants show deficiency of Ca, Mg and Fe. Give a valid
reason and suggest a way to help the farmer improve the growth of plants.

Carnivorous plants exhibit nutritional adaptation. Citing an example
explain this fact.

How are the terms ‘critical concentration’ and ‘deficient’ different from
each other in terms of concentration of an essential element in plants?
Can you find the values of ‘critical concentration’ and ‘deficient’ for
minerals – Fe & Zn.

Name the most crucial enzyme found in root nodules for N2 fixation?
Does it require a special pink coloured pigment for its functioning?
Elaborate.

How are organisms like Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus of great
significance in nitrogen cycle?

How is sulphur important for plants? Name the aminoacids in which it
is present.

Excess of Mn in soil leads to defeciency of Ca, Mg and Fe. Justify.

Rice fields produce an important green house gas. Name it.

Name one non-symbiotic nitrogen fixing prokaryote.

Name the macronutrient which is a component of all organic compounds
but is not obtained from soil.

Yellowish edges appear in leaves deficient in __________________ .

Plants with zinc deficiency show reduced biosynthesis of _______________.

What is common to Nepenthes, utricularia and Drosera with regard to
mode of nutrition?

What is common to Nepenthes, utricularia and Drosera with regard to
mode of nutrition?

What type of conditions are created by leghaemoglobin in the root nodule
of a legume?

A farmer adds Azotobacter culture to soil before sowing maize. Which
mineral element is being replenished?

Name an insectivorous angiosperm.

Think of a plant which lacks chlorophyll. From where will it obtain
nutrition? Give an example of such a type of plant.

Carnivorous plants like Nepenthes and Venus fly trap have nutritional
adaptations. Which nutrient do they especially obtain and from where?

Nitrogen fixation is shown by prokaryotes and not eukaryotes.
Comment?

Mycorrohiza is a mutualistic association. How do the organisms involved
in this association gain from each other?

Name a plant, which accumulate silicon.

Mention the role of micronutrients in plants life?

Differentiate between apoplast and symplast.

Describe the process of nitrogen fixation in plants. Mention the site where this
process actually occur is such plants.

What is mineral nutrition? Name one essential element that is a component of
energy – related chemical compounds.

How is hydroponics useful?

List the four broad groups of essential elements.

What are micronutrients?

Name the enzyme that can reduce nitrogen to ammonia.

Name essential components of biomolecules.

Write role of different elements in a plant?

List the criteria for essentiality of elements as nutrient in plants.

Differentiate between active & passive absorption.

In what form is magnesium absorbed by plants from the soil. Given two
functions of magnesium in plants & its deficiency symptoms.

What is nitrification? Name any two nitrifying bacteria in soil?

What is balanced nutrient solution?

Give the function of enzyme nitrate reductase.

What is hydroponics?

Name any two elements having toxic effect on protoplasm?

Describe the process of development of root nodules in leguminous plant.
Name the oxygen scavenger molecule present in root nodules?

What are essential mineral elements?

What is hydroponics? Mention its uses?

What is hydroponics? Mention its uses?

Name the pigment found in root nodules of legumes. What is its function?

A farmer adds azotobacter culture to the soil before sowing maize. How does
it increase the yield of maize?

What do you mean by “chlorosis”?

Which macronutrient is essential for synthesis of auxin.

Name a soil bacteria which is capable of converting ammonia to nitrates.

Which of the following statements are true? If false, correct them: (a) Boron deficiency leads to stout axis. (b) Every mineral element that is present in a cell is needed by the cell. (c) Nitrogen as a nutrient element, is highly immobile in the plants. (d) It is very easy to establish the essentiality of micronutrients because they are required only in trace quantities.

. What are the steps involved in formation of a root nodule?

What are the conditions necessary for fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by Rhizobium. What is their role in N2 -fixation?

How are the minerals absorbed by the plants?

Why is that in certain plants deficiency symptoms appear first in younger parts of the plant while in others they do so in mature organs?

If a plant shows a symptom which could develop due to deficiency of more than one nutrient, how would you find out experimentally, the real deficient mineral element?

Name at least five different deficiency symptoms in plants. Describe them and correlate them with the concerned mineral deficiency.

Why is purification of water and nutrient salts so important in studies involving mineral nutrition using hydroponics.

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